Alfonso X: the Spain of the three cultures

The Three Cultures of the Mediterranean Foundation and the Machado Foundation will develop a programme of activities centred on the figure of Alfonso X 'The Wise' to coincide with the 8th centenary of his birth.

This is a joint initiative of both institutions to study this legacy in depth from different areas (from the historical to the artistic, including heritage, legal and even the customs of his time that have survived to the present day), taking into account the enormous importance of the monarch.

Questions such as these will be analysed in much greater detail in a series of conferences which will begin this Thursday, 3 March (19:00) at the headquarters of the Fundación Tres Culturas with the talk 'The Mudejar, archetype of Spain', to be given by the president of the Fundación Machado and scientific coordinator of this initiative, Antonio Zoido.

The series will hold a monthly session until June and will resume after the summer break with three more conferences, from September to November, which will address such interesting topics as the birth of Hispanic lyric poetry, the European roots and branches of Alfonso X and the genesis of popular arts.

First lecture:

Thursday 3 March, 19.00 h. `Lo mudéjar, arquetipo de España', by Antonio Zoido, historian and president of the Fundación Machado.

About Antonio Zoido, president of the Machado Foundation and scientific coordinator of the series:

Monesterio (Badajoz, 1944). He holds a degree in Philosophy from the Gregorian University of Rome and the Complutense University of Madrid. Between 1983 and 1996 he directed the Library of Andalusian Culture and, subsequently, various cultural programmes related to the 1992 anniversaries. From 2017 to 2020 he directed the Flamenco Biennial of Seville. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the FACUA Foundation and a founding member of the Machado Foundation, currently holding the position of president.

His publications include: Ni Oriente ni Occidente. Journey to the Centre of Andalusian Culture. 1998. La Prisión general de los Gitanos y los orígenes de lo flamenco (The General Prison of the Gypsies and the Origins of Flamenco). 1999. Twelve Theories for Seville 2000. The Sons of Plato. On saints and brotherhoods in Andalusia and Morocco 2001. El dorado zumo de la pena. Venturas y desventuras de la copla andaluza (The Golden Juice of Sorrow). 2002. The Poor of Zeus. 2003. City of a week 2004.

He has been a contributor to Diario 16, El País, El Correo de Andalucía, Diario de Sevilla, Onda Cero and Cadena SER.