Edited by Sérgio Campos Matos and Luís Bigotte Chorão. V. N. de Famalicão, Húmus / Centro de História, 2017, 346 pp.
The last two centuries have seen radical changes to the relationship between Portugal and Spain, in large part due to shifts in power on the international stage. From the French invasions to the formation of the European Union, Spain and Portugal have each lived through several cultural and economic crises, faced two World Wars, been ruled under fascist dictatorships, and transitioned to democratic regimes. Through all this, the populations of both countries maintained contacts and exchanges of many kinds.
However, many assume even today that the two nations live in a state of precarious coexistence, having become pigeonholed into the image of two neighbors who live with their backs turned against one another. Contemporary historical discourse must reach beyond the shadows of this stereotype, turning instead to the idea of an Iberian plurality as key to defining the dynamics between Portugal and Spain.
Edited by Sérgio Campos Matos and Luís Bigotte Chorão, the recent Península Ibérica: Nações e transnacionalidade entre dois séculos (XIX e XX) (2018) engages with such discourse. With contributions from Enric Ucelay-Da Cal, César Rina, Víctor Martínez-Gil, and Hipólito de la Torre, among many others, this volume seeks to analyze this Iberian relationship through a broader temporal frame. With considerations ranging from the fields of culture and politics to diplomacy and economy, these essays aim toward a better understanding of the historical, political, and cultural meanings of Iberianism and Hispano-americanism and in what ways these may have contributed to the several historiographical debates on the issue.
Sérgio Campos Matos’s profile at the IStReS website.