The Voyage of Peter Lisperguer to London to Attend the Wedding of Philip II and Mary Tudor (1554)

A German Courtier at the Tudor Court

In the summer of 1552, the death of Count Pedro Fernández de Córdoba brought an important change to the life of the young Peter Lisperguer Wittemberg. The Count was succeeded in the government of his county by his brother, Gómez Suárez de Figueroa, 5th Count of Feria, under whose protection Lisperguer would remain for another two years.

Then, in July 1554, an extraordinary opportunity arose.

Philip, Prince of Asturias and future Philip II of Spain, was travelling to England to marry Mary Tudor, Queen of England. Lisperguer accompanied him, together with the Count of Feria and the Spanish and imperial courtiers who formed part of the prince's entourage.

For Lisperguer, this was the beginning of a remarkable English adventure.

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The Marriage of Philip and Mary Tudor

The marriage of Philip and Mary, celebrated at Winchester on 25 July 1554, was far more than a royal wedding. It was a spectacular political and dynastic enterprise, carefully staged to display the power and magnificence of the Habsburg monarchy. Philip's arrival in England involved an immense deployment of people, resources and ceremonial, intended not only to celebrate the marriage but also to make a powerful impression upon the English public.

Lisperguer was present at the centre of these events.

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Life within Philip's Entourage

Yet the experience of the Spanish courtiers in England was considerably more complicated than the splendour of the wedding might suggest. Accommodation was difficult, communication could be problematic, and the members of the Spanish entourage were frequently exposed to thefts, disturbances and other unpleasant incidents. More importantly, their presence in England took place against a background of constant political tension.

These tensions did not come only from outside the Spanish court. They also existed within Philip's own circle.

Among the most powerful figures surrounding the prince were Ruy Gómez de Silva, the Count of Feria and the Duke of Alba. Their differing personalities, interests and political positions reveal the rivalries operating within Philip's entourage. Gómez de Silva's more conciliatory and approachable character contrasted sharply with the pride and severity associated with the Duke of Alba. The political struggle between these figures was not merely a matter of personality: it reflected the competition for influence at the heart of Philip's court.

For someone such as Lisperguer, who depended upon the protection of powerful patrons, these divisions could have very real consequences.

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London: A Cosmopolitan City

And beyond the court itself there was London.

The city offered Lisperguer a completely different experience: a great cosmopolitan centre where people, languages, commercial interests and political influences from different parts of Europe converged. His seven months in England therefore provide a fascinating glimpse not only into the world of the Tudor court, but also into the wider European networks through which people such as Lisperguer moved.

London was therefore not merely the setting for a royal marriage, but a meeting point between the political, dynastic and commercial worlds of sixteenth-century Europe.

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The Departure from England

In January 1555, Pedro Lisperguer left the island with Jerónimo de Alderete, bringing his seven-month stay in England to an end.

He would then return to Spain and continue the preparations for the journey that would eventually take him across the Atlantic to the Spanish territories in South America, where he became one of the notable figures of the early colonial history of Chile.

The journey to England had thus become one of the decisive episodes in the European phase of Lisperguer's life.

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From the Habsburg World to Chile and Spain

From England, Lisperguer would go on to develop an extraordinary career in the expeditions that explored and conquered the southern territories of Chile. There he established the foundations of an important lineage that would extend across Chile and Peru and would leave a lasting mark on the history and culture of Spanish America.

From this lineage descended Catalina de los Ríos y Lisperguer, La Quintrala, one of the most enduring literary and historical figures in Chile, whose story would eventually acquire a remarkable projection in both the American continent and Europe.

The story of this German lineage, however, did not unfold exclusively in America. Protected within the Habsburg world under Charles V, the family also achieved a remarkable social and intellectual development in Spain. From the Spanish branch descended Luis Joseph Velázquez de Velasco, Marqués de Valdeflores, one of the notable Spanish intellectuals of the eighteenth century.

The trajectory of the Lisperguer Wittemberg family thus extended from the German lands to the imperial courts, from England to the Spanish territories of America, and from colonial Chile back to the intellectual world of Enlightenment Spain.

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Conclusion

Looking back, his stay in England can be seen as one of the most remarkable stages in his life: a German-born man moving through the Habsburg world, accompanying Philip II to Tudor England and spending seven months at the intersection of Spanish, English and European politics.

His stay in England was much more than an episode in the story of a royal marriage. It was a remarkable chapter in the life of a man whose journey would eventually lead from Germany and the European courts to the history of Chile.

From the Tudor court to colonial Chile, the voyage of Peter Lisperguer forms part of a much larger European story: the movement of people, dynasties and ideas across the Habsburg world and the Atlantic.

For more detailed information on this fascinating episode, readers are recommended to consult El conquistador alemán Pedro Lísperguer Wittemberg: de cortesano de Carlos V y Felipe II a célebre precursor de Chile.

For further information on the complete history of this German lineage in America and Spain, readers are recommended to consult Los Lisperguer Wittemberg: una familia alemana en el corazón de la cultura chilena.

Recommended Post-Reading From British Hispanists to the Marquis of Valdeflores’s Unknown European and Colonial Ties

The Quintrala's Grandfather: From the Holy Roman Empire to Colonial Chile

 

Academics debating the extraordinary journey of Pedro Lisperguer across the Holy Roman Empire and Colonial Spanish America

Today, the name Pedro Lisperguer Wittemberg is remembered primarily because he was the grandfather of Catalina de los Ríos y Lisperguer, better known as La Quintrala, the most legendary woman of colonial Chile. Yet reducing him to that family connection obscures the remarkable life of a man whose career spanned the courts of Europe and the frontiers of Spanish America.

Without Pedro Lisperguer's prestige, social standing and extraordinary career, the enduring myth of La Quintrala could scarcely be understood. Long before his descendants became part of Chilean folklore, he had already lived a life that stretched from the heart of the Holy Roman Empire to the distant Kingdom of Chile.

Born around 1530 in the imperial city of Worms, Pedro belonged to a respected patrician family whose members had served for generations in the city's government. Growing up in one of the most important free imperial cities of the Holy Roman Empire, he was introduced from an early age to the political culture of the Habsburg world.

His fortunes changed dramatically in 1545, when the court of Emperor Charles V passed through Worms. The young Pedro entered the service of the powerful House of Feria, one of the leading noble families of the Spanish Monarchy. What began as the career of a page soon developed into years of courtly service that would shape his future. Under the protection of the Count of Feria, he learned the customs of the royal household and accompanied his masters through different parts of the Habsburg dominions.

In 1554, Pedro joined the magnificent entourage that accompanied Prince Philip, the future Philip II of Spain, to England for his marriage to Queen Mary Tudor. For several months he lived in London at the centre of one of the sixteenth century's greatest diplomatic events. There he met men whose names would later become inseparable from the history of Chile, including Jerónimo de Alderete and the young poet and soldier Alonso de Ercilla. Their conversations opened a new horizon: the recently conquered lands of South America.

The following year Pedro obtained permission to sail to the Indies. Rather than travelling as an unknown adventurer, he crossed the Atlantic as part of the entourage of Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza, the newly appointed Viceroy of Peru. After crossing the Isthmus of Panama and reaching Lima, he was soon sent south to the Kingdom of Chile, where the longest and most significant chapter of his life would begin.

For nearly fifty years Pedro Lisperguer became one of the most influential figures in colonial Chile. He fought in the Arauco War, taking part in numerous military campaigns along the volatile southern frontier. His abilities extended well beyond the battlefield. Governors repeatedly entrusted him with organising expeditions, supplying troops, rebuilding fortifications and managing some of the kingdom's most demanding logistical operations.

His growing reputation brought increasing political responsibility. Throughout his career he served as captain, alderman, magistrate, royal representative and envoy of the Cabildo of Santiago before the Viceroy of Peru. On several occasions he acted as one of the kingdom's leading political figures during moments of crisis, demonstrating the confidence successive governors placed in his judgement and experience.

Pedro's influence was strengthened further through his marriage to Águeda Flores, herself the daughter of another German immigrant family established in Chile. Their union gave rise to one of the most powerful dynasties in colonial Chile, a lineage whose descendants would dominate political, economic and social life for generations. Among them was Catalina de los Ríos y Lisperguer—La Quintrala—whose controversial life would eventually eclipse the memory of her grandfather.

Like many prominent men of his age, Pedro's career was not free from conflict. He faced political disputes, judicial proceedings and periods of tension with colonial authorities. Yet these episodes never erased the reputation he had built over decades of service to the Spanish Crown.

His final years remain surrounded by uncertainty. After a lifetime spent serving the monarchy on the American frontier, he appears to have undertaken one last journey, probably intending to return to Europe. Most evidence suggests that he died in Panama around 1604 or 1605, bringing to an end a life that had connected the imperial cities of Germany with the distant landscapes of colonial Chile.

Pedro Lisperguer's biography illustrates the truly international character of the sixteenth-century Spanish Monarchy. His story links Worms, the Holy Roman Empire, the Low Countries, Spain, England, Panama, Peru and Chile in the life of a single individual. He was far more than the grandfather of La Quintrala. He was a European courtier, an experienced soldier, a royal official, a political leader and one of the principal architects of early colonial Chile.

Today, more than four centuries after his death, his remarkable journey deserves to be remembered in its own right—not merely as the prelude to the legend of La Quintrala, but as one of the most extraordinary transatlantic biographies of the Habsburg world.

For further information, see the book The German Conquistador Pedro Lísperguer Wittemberg: From Courtier to Charles V and Philip II to Celebrated Forerunner of Chile .

National Library of Spain Catalogue

Library of Congress

De reis van keizer Karel V door de Nederlanden: een sleutelmoment van de Spaanse renaissance (zomer 1545)

 

Er bestaat onder historici een wijdverbreide opvatting dat vrijwel alles over keizer Karel V reeds uitvoerig is gedocumenteerd en onderzocht. Zestiende-eeuwse kroniekschrijvers, zoals Prudencio de Sandoval, en moderne historici, onder wie Manuel Fernández Álvarez, hebben de belangrijkste gebeurtenissen uit het leven van de vorst die het lot van het christelijke Europa mede bepaalde, uitvoerig beschreven. Toch brengen minder bekende episoden, bewaard in koninklijke kronieken en familiearchieven, nog steeds nieuwe inzichten aan het licht over een van de invloedrijkste persoonlijkheden van de zestiende eeuw.

Op 16 mei 1545 arriveerde keizer Karel V, vergezeld door zijn broer Ferdinand, koning van de Romeinen, de graaf van Feria en talrijke hovelingen, in de rijksstad Worms. Aan de stadspoort werd hij verwelkomd door de burgemeester Peter Birling, die in een symbolisch gebaar van onderwerping de stadssleutels aan de keizer overhandigde. Deze scène doet denken aan De overgave van Breda, die bijna een eeuw later door Velázquez werd vereeuwigd. Dit voorval is zorgvuldig bewaard gebleven in familiearchieven in Chili. Volgens de autoriteiten van Worms wordt de gebeurtenis weliswaar vermeld in de stadskroniek, maar zonder de betrokken personen bij naam te noemen.

De keizer stond in die periode voor grote politieke en religieuze uitdagingen. De hardnekkige verdeeldheid die het protestantisme binnen het Heilige Roomse Rijk had veroorzaakt, vormde zijn grootste zorg. Worms riep bovendien herinneringen op aan de Rijksdag van 1521, waar Maarten Luther voor de keizer was verschenen. Achteraf rijst de vraag of de geschiedenis een andere wending had kunnen nemen indien destijds krachtiger was opgetreden. In het voorjaar van 1545 besloot Karel V het Concilie van Trente bijeen te roepen, al verhinderden verschillende omstandigheden dat het pas in december van dat jaar kon worden geopend. Gedurende deze tussenperiode verbleven de keizer en zijn hof in Worms, waar diplomatieke werkzaamheden werden afgewisseld met momenten van ontspanning, terwijl de ontwikkelingen binnen het rijk nauwlettend werden gevolgd.

Pedro Lisperguer, die later zou uitgroeien tot een van de meest vooraanstaande conquistadores van Chili, was getuige van deze gebeurtenissen. Hij werd omstreeks 1530 in Worms geboren als zoon van Peter Birling en Catharina Lisperg. Om redenen die nog altijd onbekend zijn, nam hij later de familienaam van zijn moeder aan.

Zijn vader bekleedde een vooraanstaande positie binnen het stadsbestuur van Worms. Hij was niet alleen burgemeester, maar maakte ook deel uit van de Gemeinen Rat en de Dreizehnerrat, om uiteindelijk het ambt van Stättmeister te bereiken. Tien jaar later behoorde hij tot de ondertekenaars van de Vrede van Augsburg, het verdrag dat een belangrijke stap betekende in de vermindering van de religieuze spanningen binnen het Heilige Roomse Rijk. Hoewel de onderhandelingen onder het gezag van keizer Karel V plaatsvonden, werd hij tijdens de slotfase vertegenwoordigd door zijn broer Ferdinand.

Algemeen wordt aangenomen dat Peter Birling de keizer tijdens diens verblijf in Worms actief ondersteunde en bijdroeg aan de organisatie van zijn diplomatieke werkzaamheden. Waarschijnlijk was dit de aanleiding voor het besluit van de keizer om zijn vijftienjarige zoon Pedro Lisperguer op te nemen in zijn gevolg toen het hof Worms verliet. Voor de jonge Pedro betekende dit het begin van een uitzonderlijke levensweg. Tijdens de reis ontstond een hechte vertrouwensband tussen de keizer en de zoon van de burgemeester, een relatie die zijn verdere loopbaan diepgaand zou beïnvloeden.

Op 7 augustus 1545 verlieten keizer Karel V, de graaf van Feria, Pedro Lisperguer en talrijke hovelingen de stad. Zij scheepten zich in op de Rijn en zetten koers naar de Nederlanden. De reis duurde ongeveer zes maanden en bracht de jonge Lisperguer in contact met enkele van de invloedrijkste personen van het rijk. Onderweg deed het gezelschap onder meer Keulen en Maastricht aan, voordat het Leuven bereikte. Daar ontmoetten zij Maria van Hongarije, landvoogdes van de Nederlanden en zuster van de keizer. In Leuven maakte Lisperguer vermoedelijk kennis met de humanistische sfeer waarvoor de stad, mede dankzij Erasmus, grote bekendheid genoot.

Vervolgens reisde het hof naar Brussel, waar zich het voornaamste paleis en bestuurscentrum van de keizer bevonden. Daar kreeg de jonge Lisperguer vermoedelijk de gelegenheid verschillende vooraanstaande edelen te ontmoeten, onder wie mogelijk de hertog van Alva. De reis voerde daarna langs andere belangrijke steden, zoals Brugge, door Erasmus omschreven als het "kleine Athene" vanwege zijn bloeiende humanistische cultuur, Antwerpen, destijds een van de belangrijkste handelscentra van Europa, en ten slotte Leiden en Utrecht.

Over deze periode bestaat al lange tijd discussie over de vraag of Pedro Lisperguer daadwerkelijk heeft deelgenomen aan de Slag bij de Elbe (Albis), zoals in verschillende familiearchieven wordt vermeld. Recent onderzoek in Spaanse archieven heeft echter aangetoond dat een dergelijke deelname chronologisch onmogelijk is. Wel staat vast dat keizer Karel V, toen hij Utrecht bereikte, daar een kapittel van de Orde van het Gulden Vlies bijeenriep, waarbij hij de prestigieuze ordeketen verleende aan de graaf van Feria.

Na deze plechtigheid vertrok Don Pedro Fernández de Córdoba, IV graaf van Feria, naar Andalusië. Hij scheidde zich van het keizerlijk hof af en arriveerde op 12 maart 1546 in Montilla (Córdoba), waar zijn huwelijk werd voltrokken. Uit de vergunningen die Pedro Lisperguer later meenam naar de Nieuwe Wereld blijkt dat hij vervolgens bijna tien jaar in Andalusië verbleef onder de bescherming van de graaf, tot diens overlijden op 27 augustus 1552.

Na de dood van de IV graaf bleef Lisperguer nog bijna twee jaar in dienst van diens broer, Don Gómez Suárez de Figueroa y Córdoba, V graaf van Feria, die het hoofd van het huis Feria werd. Op 13 juli 1554 vergezelde hij hem naar Engeland, waar zij aanwezig waren bij het huwelijk van prins Filips met Maria Tudor op 25 juli 1554.

Gómez Suárez, V graaf van Feria en Grande van Spanje, was de ambassadeur van Filips in Engeland, lid van diens Raad van State en een van de meest vertrouwde personen uit zijn directe omgeving. Gedurende ongeveer zeven maanden verbleef Pedro Lisperguer in Londen, dicht bij de toekomstige Filips II en omringd door talrijke vooraanstaande edelen van het rijk.

In oktober 1554, vanuit Brussel, verleende keizer Karel V hem de toestemming om naar de Nieuwe Wereld te reizen, ondanks de wettelijke beperkingen voor buitenlanders. In de vergunning verklaarde de keizer uitdrukkelijk: "niettegenstaande dat hij een Duitser is en ongeacht enige bepaling die het tegendeel voorschrijft" («no embargante que es alemán y cualquier provisión que haya en contrario»). Daarmee maakte de keizer persoonlijk een uitzondering op de bestaande regelgeving die vreemdelingen in beginsel verbood naar de Indiën te vertrekken.

Volgens Spaanse kroniekschrijvers van het koninklijke wapenkollege genoot de familie Birling-Lisperg bijzondere bescherming van de keizer. De verleende vergunning zou mede zijn ingegeven door de wens om de zoon van de invloedrijke bestuurder van Worms los te maken van de lutherse invloed die zich in zijn geboortestreek had verspreid.

Enkele maanden later bemiddelde de graaf van Feria in Londen namens Pedro Lisperguer bij prins Filips, met het verzoek hem toestemming te verlenen naar de Nieuwe Wereld te vertrekken. Dankzij de uitstekende reputatie die de jonge Duitse hoveling inmiddels had opgebouwd, verleende Filips — toen nog prins van het Spaanse rijk, maar reeds koning van Napels — op 4 november 1554 zijn officiële vergunning. Tot de groep behoorden ook andere hovelingen, onder wie de beroemde dichter Alonso de Ercilla.

Na hun vertrek uit Londen verbleef het gezelschap nog bijna een jaar in Spanje, waar de noodzakelijke formaliteiten werden afgehandeld bij de Casa de Contratación en andere instellingen die verantwoordelijk waren voor de organisatie van de overzeese expedities.

Uiteindelijk voegden zij zich bij de nieuwe onderkoning van Peru, Don Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza, met wie zij op 15 oktober 1555 vanuit Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz) naar de Nieuwe Wereld vertrokken.

Voor allen lag een veelbelovende toekomst in het verschiet. Voor Pedro Lisperguer betekende deze reis het begin van een uitzonderlijke loopbaan. In Chili zou hij de stamvader worden van een van de invloedrijkste en meest prestigieuze families van het koloniale tijdperk. De familie Lisperguer raakte verbonden met verschillende adellijke geslachten en leverde in de daaropvolgende eeuwen talrijke vooraanstaande bestuurders en politici, onder wie meerdere presidenten van de Chileense republiek.

Voor meer informatie wordt verwezen naar het boek De Duitse conquistador Pedro Lísperguer Wittemberg: van hoveling van keizer Karel V en Filips II tot beroemde grondlegger van Chili.

Original title of the book; El conquistador alemán Pedro Lísperguer Wittemberg: de cortesano de Carlos V y Felipe II a célebre precursor de Chile

National Library of Spain Catalogue

Library of Congress

Emperor Charles V and Pedro Lisperguer in Worms (1545)

When the city of Worms is mentioned, historical memory inevitably turns to the famous Diet of 1521 and to the figure of Martin Luther. Yet, almost a quarter of a century later, Worms once again became the center of European politics. There, during the spring and summer of 1545, some of the events that would change the course of the Holy Roman Empire unfolded and, unexpectedly, also the destiny of a young German named Pedro Lisperguer.

Pedro was the son of Peter Birling, mayor of the Free Imperial City of Worms. As the city's highest civic authority, he bore much of the responsibility for coordinating the complex organization required by the prolonged stay of Charles V and his entire court in the city. For several months, Worms hosted the emperor, his brother Ferdinand, King of the Romans, as well as numerous princes of the Empire, cardinals, ambassadors, and councillors who debated the political and religious future of Europe. Worms was no ordinary city for Charles V. It was there that, while still a twenty-one-year-old emperor, he had attempted to halt the challenge posed by Martin Luther. Returning to its streets in 1545 meant returning to the very place where, a quarter of a century earlier, the religious division of the Holy Roman Empire had begun.

At first glance, everyday life seemed to proceed as usual. Charles V attended solemn religious ceremonies, received diplomatic delegations, and even found time to pursue one of his greatest passions: hunting in the nearby forests. Yet beneath this apparent calm, one of the greatest crises of sixteenth-century Europe was taking shape.

For almost three decades, the emperor had sought to preserve the religious unity of the Empire through dialogue. He had promoted negotiations between Catholics and Protestants, encouraged theological conferences, and repeatedly called for the convocation of a general council. Nevertheless, all these efforts had ultimately failed. At Worms he realized that the path of reconciliation had reached its limits. The discussions held with the papal legate, Cardinal Farnese, and with his principal advisers paved the way for a decision that would transform European history: the use of armed force against the Schmalkaldic League.

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It was precisely in this setting that the young Pedro Lisperguer began to gain first-hand insight into the workings of imperial politics. Thanks to his father's position, he had the opportunity to grow up in an environment dominated by emperors, kings, great nobles, diplomats, military commanders, and churchmen from every corner of the continent. It would be difficult to imagine a more extraordinary political education for a boy of barely fifteen years of age.

It is not unreasonable to assume that the assistance provided by Peter Birling to the emperor during those months fostered a relationship of trust between the family and the imperial court. Organizing the stay of Charles V in a Free Imperial City required close cooperation between the municipal authorities and the emperor's entourage. Within that context, personal contacts were undoubtedly established which, in all likelihood, helped open the doors of the Hispanic world to Pedro.

The chronology is, to say the least, significant. Shortly after these events, Pedro Lisperguer left Germany to enter the service of the Hispanic Monarchy. Years later, he accompanied Viceroy Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza on his expedition to Peru and eventually became one of the best-known conquerors of the Kingdom of Chile. His extraordinary American career may well have begun long before he embarked for the New World: it began in the streets of Worms, amid the intense political activity surrounding the court of Charles V.

Those months were also marked by deeply human events. Charles V received with immense joy the news of the birth of his grandson, the future Infante Don Carlos, but only a few days later he had to face the death of his daughter-in-law, Maria Manuela of Portugal. Amid celebrations, funerals, diplomatic receptions, and complex religious negotiations, the summer of 1545 unfolded while the emperor prepared to face one of the most difficult decisions of his reign.

On 7 August 1545, Charles V finally departed from Worms. His principal advisers left with him, and a new chapter in the history of the Empire began. Among those embarking upon a decisive new path was also a young man named Pedro Lisperguer.

History often remembers great battles and great treaties, yet forgets the places where individual destinies first began to take shape. For Pedro Lisperguer, that place was Worms. There, under the protection of his father, the mayor Peter Birling, and in direct contact with the court of Charles V, he began a journey that would forever unite the histories of Germany, Spain, and Chile.

More information in the book The German Conqueror Pedro Lisperguer Wittemberg: From Courtier of Charles V and Philip II to Celebrated Forerunner of Chile.

National Library of Spain Catalogue

Library of Congress

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Deutsche Geschichte ohne Grenzen

 

Wenn von der Geschichte Deutschlands gesprochen wird, richtet sich der Blick meist auf die Ereignisse innerhalb seiner heutigen Grenzen oder auf die großen Auswanderungsbewegungen des 19. Jahrhunderts. Dabei gerät leicht in Vergessenheit, dass deutsche Familien bereits Jahrhunderte zuvor eine bedeutende Rolle in anderen Teilen Europas und der hispanischen Welt spielten.

Die Geschichte Deutschlands wurde nicht ausschließlich in Deutschland geschrieben. Ein Teil von ihr entstand auch in Spanien und in Hispanoamerika.

Zu den eindrucksvollsten Beispielen dieser bislang wenig beachteten historischen Realität gehört die Familie Lisperguer Wittemberg. Ihre Geschichte verbindet Deutschland, Spanien und Chile über mehrere Jahrhunderte hinweg und eröffnet neue Perspektiven für das Verständnis der europäischen Geschichte der Frühen Neuzeit.

Pedro Lisperguer verkörpert diese transnationale Wirklichkeit in besonderer Weise. Als Deutscher, der im Umfeld Kaiser Karls V. und später Philipps II. ausgebildet wurde, führte ihn sein Lebensweg über die Niederlande und England schließlich nach Peru und Chile. Seine Biographie ist keine Geschichte der Auswanderung im modernen Sinne, sondern Ausdruck der politischen und kulturellen Einheit der habsburgischen Monarchie.

Ebenso bemerkenswert ist die Entwicklung der Familie Wittemberg in Spanien. Dort gelang ihr innerhalb weniger Generationen ein außergewöhnlicher sozialer Aufstieg. Ihre Mitglieder waren im internationalen Handel tätig, knüpften enge Beziehungen zur spanischen Aristokratie und nahmen bedeutende Positionen im politischen, wirtschaftlichen und kulturellen Leben des Landes ein. Ihre Geschichte zeigt, dass deutsche Herkunft und vollständige Integration in die spanische Gesellschaft keineswegs Gegensätze waren.

Von besonderer Bedeutung ist auch Luis Joseph Velázquez de Velasco, Marqués de Valdeflores, der über seine mütterliche Linie von den Wittemberg abstammte. Als Mitglied der Real Academia de la Historia gehörte er zu den bedeutendsten Gelehrten der spanischen Aufklärung. Seine Werke fanden Eingang in die deutsche Wissenschaft durch Johann Andreas Dieze und wurden später von Emil Hübner für das Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum herangezogen. Auch auf diesem Gebiet zeigt sich die enge Verbindung zwischen der deutschen und der spanischen Gelehrtenwelt.

In Chile hinterließ die Familie Lisperguer schließlich ein Erbe von außergewöhnlicher historischer Bedeutung. Über Generationen gehörte sie zu den einflussreichsten Familien des Landes. Aus ihr ging Catalina de los Ríos y Lisperguer – La Quintrala hervor, eine Persönlichkeit, die bis heute zu den bekanntesten Figuren der chilenischen Geschichte und Literatur zählt.

Die Geschichte der Lisperguer Wittemberg ist deshalb weit mehr als die Geschichte einer einzelnen Familie. Sie zeigt beispielhaft, wie eng Deutschland, Spanien und Hispanoamerika bereits seit dem 16. Jahrhundert miteinander verbunden waren. Zugleich macht sie deutlich, dass zahlreiche Kapitel deutscher Geschichte noch außerhalb der traditionellen nationalen Perspektive geschrieben werden müssen.

Vielleicht ist es an der Zeit, diese Familien nicht länger als Randerscheinungen der deutschen Geschichte zu betrachten, sondern als einen integralen Bestandteil der europäischen Vergangenheit. Denn die Geschichte Deutschlands endet nicht an seinen Grenzen.Veröffentlichte Monographien

Die Ergebnisse dieser Forschungen wurden in folgenden Monographien veröffentlicht:

• Los Lisperguer Wittemberg: una familia alemana en el corazón de la Monarquía Hispánica.

• El conquistador alemán Pedro Lisperguer Wittemberg: de cortesano de Carlos V y Felipe II a célebre precursor de Chile.

• Concesión de la Cruz de la Orden de Franz Joseph a Carlos Boríes, gobernador de Magallanes (1898–1904).

DIE LISPERGUER-BÄNDE: VERMÄCHTNIS, REZENSIONEN UND PERSPEKTIVEN

Die Lisperguer-Bände: Vermächtnis, Rezensionen und Perspektiven

Internationale Rezensionen

Cristián Le Blanc (im Ruhestand, Diplomat) – fünf Sterne. Rezension in den Vereinigten Staaten am 21. April 2021.
Ich möchte meine Bewunderung für die tiefgründige Arbeit von Herrn Daniel Piedrabuena Ruiz-Tagle in seinen beiden herausragenden Büchern ausdrücken, die ich gelesen habe: Los Lisperguer Wittemberg: una familia alemana en el corazón de la cultura chilena – identidad y esplendor de la primera familia colonial de Chile, sowie El conquistador alemán Pedro Lisperguer Wittemberg: de cortesano de Carlos V a Felipe II a célebre precursor de Chile.

Dank dieser beiden wissenschaftlichen Werke haben wir nun – zum ersten Mal – einen tiefen Einblick in die wahre Geschichte dieser bedeutenden Familie, die mit Don Pedro dem Eroberer nach Chile kam. Selbst Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna gelang es nicht, bestimmte Aspekte zu klären, die der Autor nun mit großer Gelehrsamkeit beleuchtet.

Die dargebotenen Informationen sind das Ergebnis einer umfassenden Forschung und von Primärquellen, vermittelt mit Klarheit und einem fesselnden Stil, ohne jemals an Strenge oder Detail zu verlieren. Durch seine Arbeit hat Herr Piedrabuena Ruiz-Tagle den Werdegang der Familie – ihre Ursprünge und Entwicklung in Deutschland, später in Spanien und schließlich in Chile – ins Licht gerückt.

Eugenio Ovalle – fünf Sterne. Rezension in den Vereinigten Staaten am 16. Februar 2021.
Ein großartiges Buch über eine Familie, die ihre Heimat verlässt, um sich in einem anderen Land niederzulassen, und dabei alle Herausforderungen meistert – eine Geschichte, die viele Familien im Laufe der Jahrhunderte teilten, die sich ein neues Leben im Ausland aufbauten.

Garcia Thierry – fünf Sterne. Rezension in Frankreich am 18. November 2023.
Historisch interessant und gut geschrieben, mit reichlich Details – ein Referenzwerk über die Geschichte dieser Familie im Laufe der Jahrhunderte.

Rückseitige Rezensionen

„Der umfangreiche Band, das monumentale Werk und die aufrichtige sowie leidenschaftliche Zuneigung seines Autors zu seinen Wurzeln ist die Liebe, die ihn dazu bewegte, dieses hispano-amerikanische und europäische Werk zu schaffen … ‚die Auserwählten‘ in der Geschichte ihrer selbst.“
— Dr. Isidoro Vázquez de Acuña, Sekretär der Chilenischen Akademie für Geschichte. Revista de Estudios Históricos, Chilenische Gesellschaft für Geschichte und Geographie.

„Der Autor stellt uns vor ein Thema von klarer historischer Bedeutung für die Chilenen. Es genügt daran zu erinnern, dass aus der Familie Lisperguer die Figur hervorgeht, die zum legendären kollektiven Gedächtnis Chiles gehört: La Quintrala.“
— Reynaldo Lacámara, ehemaliger Präsident der Chilenischen Schriftstellervereinigung (SECH). Erinnerung als Ursprung und Aufgabe.

„Dies ist zweifellos ein Werk, das über bloßen Dokumentarwert hinausgeht (keine geringe Sache) und sich ins Zentrum vieler chilenischer Themen stellt, die bis heute nachzuzeichnen sind. Die Geschichte der Familie Lisperguer – ihre Fähigkeit zur Integration in neue Kontexte und ihr bemerkenswerter sozialer Aufstieg – zeigt ihre multikulturelle Natur und hybride Prägung, die als große Metapher für die beiden Jahrhunderte gelesen werden kann, in denen sich Chile als Nation entwickelte. Die Arbeit von Herrn Piedrabuena ist ohne Zweifel bemerkenswert: nicht nur streng, sondern auch leidenschaftlich – eine Kombination, die man im Bereich der Geschichtsschreibung selten findet, wo das eine oft das andere auszuschließen scheint.“
— Eleonora Finkelstein, RIL Editores.

Hinweis an den aufmerksamen Leser

Ich möchte diese Gelegenheit nutzen, um meine Gedanken zu Band I, El conquistador alemán Pedro Lisperguer Wittemberg: de cortesano de Carlos V a Felipe II a célebre precursor de Chile, zu teilen, damit der Leser die geistige Anstrengung, die ein Projekt dieser Art erfordert – das Ergebnis von siebzehn Jahren intensiver historischer Forschung – in vollem Umfang würdigen kann.

Vor einiger Zeit reduzierte eine einzelne Bewertung – fast sicher motiviert durch persönlichen oder politischen Bias (Ereignisse des 16. Jahrhunderts sollten in ihrem historischen Kontext betrachtet werden, nicht durch das Prisma heutiger politischer Zugehörigkeiten) – die Sichtbarkeit des Buches auf Amazon erheblich. Gesellschaftliche Spannungen in bestimmten Milieus, die aus polarisierten ideologischen Positionen entstehen, können manchmal zu Verzerrungen in der öffentlichen Wahrnehmung eines Werkes führen.

Abgesehen von diesem interpretativen Rahmen präsentiert dieses Buch zum ersten Mal den vollständigen europäischen Hintergrund von Pedro Lisperguer Wittemberg, einem deutschen Höfling, der an den einflussreichsten Höfen des 16. Jahrhunderts diente, bevor er nach Amerika übersiedelte. Es vereint eine breite und sorgfältig kuratierte Quellensammlung, darunter unveröffentlichte Archivdokumente aus spezialisierten Sammlungen und seltene Materialien, die über verschiedene Publikationen verstreut waren – wie die offiziellen Reisegenehmigungen für die Neue Welt.

Geschrieben mit Leidenschaft, Kreativität und historischer Strenge, versucht es dokumentarische Präzision mit einer fesselnden Erzählung zu verbinden. Weit über die natürliche Subjektivität hinaus, die jeder Autor mitbringt, enthält das Werk einen dokumentarischen und archivarischen Schatz, der es an sich wertvoll macht und von internationalen Forschern, die nach breiteren Verbindungen suchen, sehr geschätzt werden kann. Das Leben von Pedro Lisperguer spiegelt in vielerlei Hinsicht die Laufbahn von Karl V. und Philipp II. wider. Es zu ignorieren hieße, Herrscher von immenser weltgeschichtlicher Bedeutung zu übersehen.

Aus all diesen Gründen bitte ich den konstruktiven Leser, dieses Werk frei von vorgefassten Rahmen zu betrachten, die eine großzügige Würdigung behindern könnten – und so zu einer verantwortungsvollen und fairen Bewertung zu gelangen, die wiederum dazu beiträgt, den Dialog über transatlantische und europäische Geschichte zu bereichern.

Die Gesamtheit dieses Blogs, in seinen verschiedenen Ausdrucksformen und Herangehensweisen, kann dazu dienen, eine freundlichere und fundiertere Wahrnehmung dessen zu fördern, was ich zu vermitteln versuche.

P.S. Es freut mich festzustellen, dass in diesem Band, der lange Zeit von einer einzelnen niedrigen Bewertung betroffen war, kürzlich eine neue Fünf-Sterne-Rezension hinzugefügt wurde, die seine Rezeption in ein ausgewogeneres Licht rückt.

Vielen Dank,

Daniel Piedrabuena Ruiz-Tagle

Derzeit arbeite ich an einer Studie über einen spanischen Gelehrten des 18. Jahrhunderts.

Lesetipp: 

Spende an die Nationalbibliothek Spaniens

La Quintrala and the Lisperger-Wittemberg Legacy: Reconstructing History from Spain’s Archives

 

Historical writing often repeats the same narratives, relying on secondary sources that pass errors and myths from one author to the next. True history, however, is not written second-hand—it emerges from silence, from dusty archives, from handwritten pages that have waited centuries to speak again. My research on the Lisperger-Wittemberg lineage is built on this principle: return to the origins, work directly with primary sources, and let the past tell its own story.

Why true history begins in the archives

Secondary accounts can offer context, but they are often derivative, missing the nuances only first-hand testimony can provide. Original documents—legal records, letters, notarial protocols, ecclesiastical files, and manuscripts—preserve the voices of real people who shaped history. Building on these foundations means reconstructing events as faithfully as possible, free from layers of speculation or legend.

Academic historians consistently value research grounded in primary sources above all others. Only original documents can reveal the hidden truth of the past, a truth often obscured by later writers who reshaped events through interpretation or literary embellishment. This is why my research on the Lisperger-Wittemberg lineage allows us to revisit and, in many ways, rewrite the mythologized history of La Quintrala, separating documented reality from centuries of literary distortion.

Digging deep: Spain’s national and regional repositories

My research has taken me to some of the most important archives in Spain:

• Biblioteca Nacional de España (Madrid), consulting rare books and manuscripts related to the Lisperger-Wittemberg family.

• Archivo Histórico Nacional, where unpublished records offer a direct glimpse into the legal and political networks of the 16th century.

• Archivo General de Indias (Seville), a fundamental source for tracing connections with the Americas and early colonial networks.

• Archivo General de Simancas, preserving royal administration records that reveal political dynamics of the Spanish Empire.

• Military and naval archives, shedding light on the broader imperial context in which this German courtier operated.

• Ecclesiastical archives, where personal, religious, and social aspects of this lineage appear in unexpected ways.

• Provincial, municipal archives and the Real Chancillería, revealing local details often overlooked in grand narratives.

• Real Academia de la Historia, which houses critical scholarly collections and original documents essential for tracing this German-Spanish connection.

• Archivo y Biblioteca del Palacio Real (Madrid), with manuscripts tied to royal administration and the courtly environment where Lisperger moved.

• Archivo de la Casa de Pilatos (Seville), offering unique insights into aristocratic networks and their interactions with foreign courtiers in Spain.

• Fundación Görres (Madrid), where I personally consulted materials connecting German figures to the Spanish imperial court, enriching the Lisperger-Wittemberg research with unique Germanic sources preserved in Spain.

While the greatest value lies in these original documents, Madrid also holds a powerful Hispano-American bibliographic collection, especially in the Biblioteca Hispánica of the AECID, where essential printed works from both sides of the Atlantic help complement and contextualize the archival findings.

This research is not about copying citations—it is about reading the original handwriting of history and building on a strong, carefully curated literary foundation.

The Lisperger-Wittemberg legacy through unpublished documents

The Lisperger-Wittemberg story embodies a fascinating European-Spanish connection: a German courtier navigating the circles of Charles V and Philip II, weaving ties that would later extend toward the Americas. These connections are often mentioned in passing, but by revisiting the original documents, a clearer and more human portrait emerges. My work seeks to reconstruct this path faithfully, adding depth where traditional accounts remain superficial.

International collaboration: Germany, Peru, Chile, and the U.S.

Although my direct archival work has been concentrated in Spain, this research also bridges continents. Through correspondence with institutions in Germany, Chile, and the Biblioteca Nacional del Perú, I obtained crucial materials that complement the Spanish documentation. Additionally, I conducted epistolary research with the Benson Collection (University of Texas, U.S.), requesting primary documents relevant to the Spanish imperial presence and family correspondences. These partnerships highlight the transnational nature of the Lisperger-Wittemberg legacy—a network of empire, migration, and memory spanning Europe and the Americas.

Reconstructing history with authentic evidence

Transforming archival findings into a coherent narrative is both a challenge and a responsibility. Primary sources are not tidy; they are fragmented, sometimes contradictory, but they are authentic. They allow history to be rebuilt on solid foundations, not speculation. This is what makes archival research not only valuable but essential: it gives readers and scholars alike a history they can trust, grounded in evidence rather than repetition.

The Lisperger-Wittemberg project is part of that effort—to let forgotten voices speak, to connect documents scattered across time and place, and to build history that truly reflects the complexity of the past.

Reviews that reference the works that explore
 these subjects in greater depth: 

THE LISPERGUER VOLUMES: LEGACY, REVIEWS AND PERSPECTIVES

The Hidden German Bloodline Behind Chile’s Most Infamous Woman: Untold Secrets of La Quintrala and the Lisperguer Dynasty

 

The Untold German Bloodline That Forged Chile’s Most Infamous Woman: La Quintrala and the Lisperguer Dynasty

For centuries, Chilean history has been haunted by a name whispered with both fear and fascination: La Quintrala. Behind this legendary figure lies the powerful Lisperguer-Wittemberg dynasty, a German family that crossed oceans under the protection of Emperor Charles V, reshaping the destiny of colonial Chile and Peru in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Now, after fifteen years of groundbreaking archival research in Spain, Germany, and South America, historian Daniel Piedrabuena unveils the hidden European roots of the Lisperguer family, unraveling myths that have persisted for nearly five centuries.

From Worms to Brussels, Seville to London, follow the incredible journey of Pedro Lisperguer, a young German noble favored by the Emperor himself (“Notwithstanding that he is German, any law to the contrary shall not apply”), who sailed to the New World and founded one of the most influential colonial dynasties of South America.

This exclusive research explores:

• Newly discovered documents that rewrite the origin story of the Lisperguers.

• The imperial networks that paved their way to power in Chile and Peru.

• The rise of La Quintrala, a woman both feared and mythologized, often called the Chilean Don Quixote, whose legend has inspired novels, plays, films, and countless academic debates worldwide.

• The fusion of German nobility, Spanish conquest, mestizaje, and power struggles that shaped an unforgettable colonial legacy.

According to Chilean tradition, Pedro Lísperguer, forefather of La Quintrala and patriarch of the Lisperguer dynasty, was a descendant of the Duke of Saxony—an assertion that scientific research has neither confirmed nor completely disproven. Although the claim is fragile, what is verifiable is that he was the son of Peter Lisperg, a prominent figure in Worms, Stadtmeister of the city, and one of the most notable signatories of the Peace of Augsburg. The German courtier shared a total of six months with Emperor Charles V, both in Worms and during his travels through southern Germany and the Low Countries. He subsequently spent a decade in Spain under the protection of the powerful House of Feria, before departing for England to attend the wedding of Philip of Spain and Mary Tudor on 25 July 1554, held at Winchester Cathedral.

After spending seven months on the island, he returned to Spain and eventually sailed with Viceroy Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza to the New World. Once in Lima, he entered into the service of the viceroy. All of this helped forge his prestige and his legendary aura in a world where nobility meant everything—a brilliance of unparalleled intensity, born of an intrepid man who had spent years in close company with the most eminent figures of the Spanish Empire.

What is unusual—or at the very least rare in the 16th century—is how Pedro Lísperguer, allegedly descended from high nobility in Germany, after fighting with boldness in the Arauco Wars, eventually settled in Santiago, where he married Águeda Flores, the daughter of his compatriot Bartolomé Blumenthal and the Indigenous woman Elvira de Talagante. From this unlikely and symbolic union was born Catalina de los Ríos y Lisperguer, and from her descended the infamous La Quintrala, Pedro’s granddaughter—who would go on to inherit not only the family's imperial prestige and power, but also all the complexities and intricacies of being the daughter of a mestiza. From her European lineage, she inherited the social abilities of the noble class; from her mother, according to contemporary chroniclers, she possessed psychological—and at times esoteric—skills, qualities that allowed her to impose herself in both worlds—the aristocratic and the Indigenous—with a mastery that many contemporaries described as both fascinating and unsettling.

Packed with untold secrets, political intrigue, and human drama, this research transforms what we thought we knew about Chile’s colonial past and the family that became a social phenomenon, a myth, and an enduring obsession in Latin American history.

For further detail on the European origins of the Lisperguer family and their imperial connections, readers are encouraged to consult Daniel Piedrabuena’s Lisperguer volumes—the result of over fifteen years of rigorous archival research, primarily conducted in Spain, with valuable documentary contributions from Germany and Latin America, focusing on the overlooked continental trajectory of a dynasty that left a deep imprint on the Spanish Empire before crossing into the New World.

Author’s Note: This text is derived from ongoing research by the author, based on previously registered and published studies on the Lisperguer-Wittemberg lineage. Not intended for commercial use without permission.

Quotations and references are permitted with proper attribution.

© Daniel Piedrabuena Ruiz‑Tagle, 2025. All rights reserved.

Further recommended reading: 

THE LISPERGUER VOLUMES: LEGACY, REVIEWS AND PERSPECTIVES

Reseñas sobre la investigación de la familia Lisperguer Wittemberg

Los volúmenes Lisperguer: legado, reseñas y perspectivas

Reseñas internacionales

Cristián Le Blanc (Diplomático retirado) – cinco estrellas. Reseña publicada en Estados Unidos el 21 de abril de 2021.
Deseo expresar mi admiración por la profunda labor realizada por el Sr. Daniel Piedrabuena Ruiz-Tagle en sus dos magníficos libros, que he tenido oportunidad de leer: Los Lisperguer Wittemberg: una familia alemana en el corazón de la cultura chilena – identidad y esplendor de la primera familia colonial de Chile, así como El conquistador alemán Pedro Lisperguer Wittemberg: de cortesano de Carlos V a Felipe II a célebre precursor de Chile.

Gracias a estas dos eruditas obras, tenemos ahora —por primera vez— una visión profunda de la verdadera historia de esta destacada familia que llegó a Chile con don Pedro el Conquistador. Incluso Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna no logró esclarecer ciertos aspectos que el autor ahora ilumina con gran erudición.

La información presentada es fruto de una investigación exhaustiva y de fuentes históricas de primera mano, expuesta con claridad y estilo ameno, sin perder rigurosidad ni detalle. Con su trabajo, el Sr. Piedrabuena Ruiz-Tagle ha iluminado la trayectoria de la familia —sus orígenes y desarrollo en Alemania, posteriormente en España, y finalmente en Chile.

Eugenio Ovalle – cinco estrellas. Reseña publicada en Estados Unidos el 16 de febrero de 2021.
Un gran libro sobre una familia que deja su tierra natal para establecerse en otro país, enfrentando todos los desafíos en el camino —una historia que comparten muchas familias a lo largo de los siglos que se lanzaron a construir una nueva vida en el extranjero.

Garcia Thierry – cinco estrellas. Reseña publicada en Francia el 18 de noviembre de 2023.
Interesante desde el punto de vista histórico y bien escrito, con abundante detalle —un referente en la historia de esta familia a lo largo de los siglos.

Reseñas de contraportada

«El enjundioso ejemplar, la magna obra, el sincero y apasionado cariño de su autor por sus raíces es el amor que le impulsó a construir su obra hispanoamericana y europea… ‘los elegidos en la historia de sí mismos’.
— Dr. Isidoro Vázquez de Acuña, Secretario de la Academia Chilena de la Historia. Revista de Estudios Históricos, Sociedad Chilena de Historia y Geografía.

«El autor nos coloca ante una temática que para los chilenos reviste una clara importancia histórica. Baste recordar que de la familia Lisperguer desciende ese personaje que forma parte de la memoria legendaria y colectiva de Chile, La Quintrala».
— Reynaldo Lacámara, ex presidente de la Sociedad de Escritores de Chile (SECH). La memoria como origen y tarea.

«Es sin duda una obra que trasciende el mero valor documental (cosa no menor) y se sitúa en el corazón de muchos tópicos chilenos que pueden rastrearse hasta hoy en nuestra sociedad. La historia de la familia Lísperguer, haciendo hincapié en su facultad para la integración en nuevos escenarios y destacando su notable capacidad para el ascenso social, pone de manifiesto su condición policutural y su impronta híbrida, lo que muy bien puede leerse como una metáfora mayor de estos 200 años en el que Chile se desarrolló como nación. El trabajo del Sr. Piedrabuena es, sin duda, notable: no sólo riguroso sino apasionado, una combinación poco frecuente en el ámbito de la historia, donde pareciera que una cosa quitara la otra».
— Eleonora Finkelstein, RIL Editores.

Nota para el lector atento

Aprovechando esta ocasión, quisiera hacer llegar al lector mi impresión sobre el Volumen I, El conquistador alemán Pedro Lísperguer Wittemberg: de cortesano de Carlos V a Felipe II a célebre precursor de Chile, para que pueda dimensionar adecuadamente el esfuerzo intelectual que supone llevar a cabo un proyecto de estas características,  fruto de diecisiete años de intensa investigación histórica.

Hace algún tiempo, una valoración aislada —casi con toda seguridad motivada por un sesgo personal o político (por lo que considero que los acontecimientos del siglo XVI deben abordarse en su contexto histórico, y no a través del prisma de abanderamientos políticos contemporáneos)— redujo de forma significativa la visibilidad del libro en Amazon. La desavenencia social en ciertos entornos, derivada de posiciones ideológicas polarizadas, puede a veces generar distorsiones en la recepción pública de una obra.

Al margen de este marco mental en el que se la ha englobado; por primera vez, este trabajo presenta el contexto europeo completo de Pedro Lisperguer Wittemberg, un cortesano alemán que sirvió en las cortes más influyentes del siglo XVI antes de pasar a América. El libro reúne una amplia y cuidadosamente seleccionada colección de fuentes, incluyendo documentos inéditos procedentes de archivos especializados y materiales raros dispersos en diversas publicaciones, como son los permisos oficiales para viajar al Nuevo Mundo.

Escrito con pasión, creatividad y rigor histórico, busca combinar la precisión documental con una narrativa atractiva. Más allá de la propia subjetividad que todo autor puede tener,  la obra posee un tesoro documental y archivístico que la hace valiosa por sí misma, y que puede ser muy apreciada por investigadores internacionales que busquen conexiones más amplias. La vida de Pedro Lísperguer es un sucedáneo de la trayectoria vital de Carlos V y Felipe II. Desdeñar ésta implica ignorar a unos monarcas de inmensa relevancia en la historia universal. 

Por todo ello, insto al lector constructivo a adentrarse en esta obra libre de constructos previos, que le impidan forjarse una apreciación generosa de la misma, que le conduzca a efectuar una valoración responsable y ecuánime, contribuyendo así a enriquecer el diálogo sobre la historia transatlántica y europea. 

La totalidad de este blog, en sus diferentes expresiones y enfoques, puede servir para alcanzar una percepción mucho más amable y fundamentada de lo que intento transmitir.

P. D. Me complace señalar que en este volumen, que durante mucho tiempo estuvo afectado por una valoración aislada baja, se ha añadido recientemente una reseña de cinco estrellas, lo que aporta un equilibrio agradecido a su recepción.

Gracias,
Daniel Piedrabuena Ruiz-Tagle
Actualmente trabajando en un estudio sobre un polímata español del siglo XVIII.

Recomendación de lectura:

Donación a la Biblioteca Nacional de España