Spanish Society, 1348-1700

Beginning with the Black Death in 1348 and extending through to the demise of Habsburg rule in 1700, this second edition of Spanish Society 1348-1700 has been expanded to provide a wide and compelling exploration of Spain’s transition from the Middle Ages to modernity.

Each chapter builds on the first edition by offering new evidence of the changes in Spain’s social structure between the fourteenth and seventeenth century. Every part of society is examined, culminating in a final section which is entirely new to the second edition and presents the changing social practices of the period, particularly in response to the growing crises facing Spain as it moved into the seventeenth century. Also new to this edition is a consideration of the social meaning of culture, specifically the presence of Hermetic themes and of magical elements in Golden Age literature and Cervantes’ Don Quixote.

Through the extensive use of case studies, historical examples and literary extracts, Spanish Society is an ideal way for students to gain direct access to this captivating period.

Teofilo F. Ruiz is Professor of History at the University of California, Los Angeles. His previous publications include A King Travels: Festive Traditions in Late Medieval and Early Modern Spain (2012), Spain, 1300-1469. Centuries of Crises (2007), Medieval Europe and the World (2005) and From Heaven to Earth: The Reordering of Castilian Society, 1150-1350 (2004).