Mater Dolorosa

In this work, José Álvarez Junco analyses the process of construction of Spanish identity throughout the 19th century. The idea of Spain, previously formed around the monarchy and Catholicism, was consolidated at the beginning of the contemporary era with the so-called war of independence against the French, and the intellectual elites then undertook its cultural construction in terms that were adapted to the age of nations. However, this task was soon hampered by continuing political instability, economic backwardness, the loss of empire and the absence of external threats. These factors were compounded by the lack of a truly national education system and military service, as well as the endless debates between liberals and conservatives over the meaning and political orientation of Spanish identity.

ISBN: 9788430604418