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No matter how much time passes, many historical questions remain open and, although for some answers are found, there is always the possibility that new questions will arise.
Did the Reconquista exist? In recent times the concept of Reconquista has been questioned due to its anachronism (it was used from the 18th century) and the political manipulation it implies, to the point that many deny its existence. A recently published book with the participation of several specialists delves into the debate: “Did the Christians reconquer what the Muslims had taken from them or, on the contrary, was theirs just a “conquest”?”
Who did Franco rely on? There is no doubt that Franco was a dictator, despite the fact that there are always those who are willing to disguise, if not justify, reality. But his was not a merely one-man dictatorship but had the support of broad social and political layers: they were the men of Franco's regime, according to Nicolás Sesma's book Ni una, ni grande, ni libre (Crítica). And the women? The role assigned to them by the regime cost (it is costing, in fact) a lot to change.
What really happened on April 14, 1931? The arrival of the Republic was a very profound change of which hitherto unknown facets are still being discovered. A few days ago La Vanguardia published the ins and outs of the first hours after the proclamation by Francesc Macià in Barcelona, told by one of the members of the Guàrdia Cívica, in charge of defending the Catalan Republic later replaced by the Generalitat.
What was Dalí up to? In his will, the Empordà painter designated the Spanish State as universal heir, but in the last stages of his life he called a notary to make some changes in his legacy that were postponed until his death surprised him. of the. It is the bizarre story that Josep Playà tells in his book Els últims secrets de Dalí (Gavarres).
What mom knew. Brigitte Höss, daughter of Rudolph Höss, commander of Auschwitz between 1940 and 1943, gave an interview recently published by The Guardian in 2021, in which she recounts her childhood memories in the area adjacent to that camp, a time recreated in the film The area of interest. “Mom knew what was happening,” she says. (in English)
Machismo is not enough. Marta Rebón recalled a few days ago on her Twitter account the draconian conditions that Albert Einstein imposed on her wife Mileva. Some examples: “You are going to make sure my suits, underwear and sheets are clean”; “You will give up on me spending time with you at home”; “If I demand it, you will stop addressing me”; “You will not miss me in front of our children, whether with your words or your behavior.” The supposed agreement did not last long.
Always Pompeii. Since the mid-18th century with the first excavations of Joaquín de Alcubierre, the remains of Pompeii have cyclically caused admiration for the constant discoveries of large and small archaeological jewels. From that first moment, investigations continued throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, although they were interrupted during the Second World War (apparently there are still ten Allied bombs yet to explode in the underground of the Roman city). The bulk of the mansions and temples discovered that can be visited today come from that period.
In recent decades, prospecting has intensified in the extensive area of the city buried by Vesuvius. And in parallel, discoveries invariably described as unique and astonishing by the media have become increasingly more frequent: a slave room with abundant information about the life of this social class (2021), a ceremonial chariot in perfect condition (2021 ), new remains of victims (2023), a mill that shows the terrible working conditions of the servile class (2023) and even a fresco that seems to represent an ancestor of pizza (2023).
The latest in this long series of finds was made public last week, when Italian authorities announced that a set of frescoes had been found in a dining room in perfect condition. The BBC reported extensively on this discovery on its website, while the Open University has produced an interactive guide to the ancient Roman city to mark this discovery.
In any case, this wealth of information is far from being exhausted, since a third of Pompeii still has not seen the light of day.
