Admiration and Awe

A systematic analysis reveals that the cultural and religious appropriation of Andalusian architecture by Spanish historians during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries was not merely a process of hybridization but a complex negotiation of identity. This study demonstrates how historians and antiquarians strategically re-appropriated medieval Islamic heritage to align with the emerging identity of Spain as a Catholic monarchy and empire. They employed historical revisions, such as reidentifying monuments' origins as Roman or Phoenician, and invented religious forgeries to claim Christian precedence. These strategies were central in debates about Spain's national origin and ecclesiastical history, shaping the early development of archaeology.

Urquízar-Herrera, A. (2017). Admiration and Awe. Oxford Scholarship Online. https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198797456.001.0001