Maltby further argues that there is no connection between the Italian criticisms of Spain and the later form of the black legend in the Netherlands and England Elements 16th century The Conquest of the Americas In the 15th and 16th centuries, many Italians deeply admired Spain.The phrase 'black legend' suggests a certain 'tradition,' which did not exist in Italian writings based primarily on a reaction to the recent presence of Spanish troops.It is a normal reaction in any society dominated by a foreign power. Just because the earliest writings against Spaniards were written in Italy, that is not sufficient reason to describe Italy as the origin of the black legend.In general, they raise the following objections: Arnoldsson cites studies by Benedetto Croce and Arturo Farinelli to affirm that Italy in the 14th, 15th, and 16th Centuries was extremely hostile to Spain.Īrnoldsson's theories have been disputed by numerous historians. A Study of its Origins, locates the origins of the black legend in medieval Italy, unlike previous authors who locate it in the 16th Century. The historian Sverker Arnoldsson from the University of Gothenburg, in his book The Black Legend. Alfredo Alvar, La Leyenda Negra (1997:5) Origins In turn, some critics have branded this revisionist narrative as a White Legend, grossly distorted so as to erase all blemishes from Spain's historical legacy. According to one historian, this propaganda unfairly depicts Spain or the Spanish Empire as 'cruel, bigoted, exploitative and self-righteous in excess of reality.' The term was coined by Julián Juderías in his 1914 book La leyenda negra y la verdad histórica ('The Black Legend and Historical Truth').Īdvocates of the term belong to a pro-Spanish historiographical school that has emerged in Spain and to some extent in the Americas.

) is a phrase used to describe the anti-Spanish historical propaganda created by mostly Protestant or Italian writers starting in the 16th century, thought to counter Spain's increasing influence and power on the world stage. The Black Legend (Spanish language: La leyenda negra De Bry's works are characteristic of the anti-Spanish propaganda that originated as a result of the Eighty Years' War. For other uses, see Black Legend (disambiguation).Ī 1598 engraving by Theodor de Bry depicting a Spaniard feeding Indian children to his dogs.

Black legend of the spanish inquisition