Nature in the library: the herbariums of El Escorial and the collections of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza
Abstract
The re-discovery of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza's herbariums in the Library of El Escorial allows us to offer a somewhat different look at the library of this aristocrat, diplomat, collector and poet from Granada. As his library passed into the hands of Felipe II when Mendoza died in 1575, the herbariums were incorporated into the whole cultural, political and artistic program of the Royal monastery-palace-mausoleum. This paper aims to propose a new look to these herbaria within the two cultural contexts in which they lived. Both based, not only in the Mendoza's library as a space of constructing knowledge about the natural world, but also playing different roles inside a library which had moved between Italy (Venice, Trent, Padua, Bologna, Rome) and Spain (Granada, Madrid, El Escorial) over four decisive decades for the future of the Catholic Monarchy.
Downloads
Article download
Crossmark
License
In order to support the global exchange of knowledge, the journal Cuadernos de Historia Moderna is allowing unrestricted access to its content as from its publication in this electronic edition, and as such it is an open-access journal. The originals published in this journal are the property of the Complutense University of Madrid and any reproduction thereof in full or in part must cite the source. All content is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 use and distribution licence (CC BY 4.0). This circumstance must be expressly stated in these terms where necessary. You can view the summary and the complete legal text of the licence.
