author
Rafael Altamira
1866–1951
A leading Spanish historian and jurist, he wrote with unusual range and spent much of his life linking scholarship, education, and public service. His work on Spain’s past and his commitment to international peace made him one of the most respected intellectuals of his generation.
1 Audiobook
A History of Spain founded on the Historia de España y de la civilización española of Rafael Altamira
by Charles E. (Charles Edward) Chapman, Rafael Altamira
About the author
Born in Alicante in 1866, Rafael Altamira y Crevea became a historian, literary critic, educator, writer, and jurist whose career reached far beyond the university. He studied law, taught legal history, and built a reputation as one of the major Spanish historians of the early 20th century.
Altamira was closely connected to reform-minded educational circles in Spain and took a strong interest in pedagogy and public culture as well as historical research. His writing helped shape modern views of Spanish history, and he was especially noted for bringing a broad, serious, and accessible approach to the subject.
Later in life, he also became known for his work in international law and for his support of peace through legal institutions, serving as a judge at the Permanent Court of International Justice. Exile marked his final years, and he died in Mexico City in 1951.