The UJI investigates how the Hispanic Monarchy turned Visigothic royalty into a symbol of power
The project, titled La recepción artística de la realeza visigoda en la Monarquía Hispánica (siglos XVI a XIX), establishes a theoretical framework that spans from the appreciation and preservation of Visigothic archaeological remains to their transfo
image: History, art and collective memory come together in the project led by Víctor Mínguez, Professor of the Department of History, Geography and Art at the Universitat Jaume I in Castelló, which explores the artistic reception of Visigothic royalty between the 16th and 19th centuries. The research, funded by the 2021 National Plan for Scientific Research, aims to understand how the figures of Visigothic kings and queens were reinterpreted and used as political and cultural symbols by the Hispanic Monarchy. The project, titled La recepción artística de la realeza visigoda en la Monarquía Hispánica (siglos XVI a XIX), establishes a theoretical framework that spans from the appreciation and preservation of Visigothic archaeological remains to their transformation into propaganda icons. It examines how figures such as Hermenegild, Leovigild or Reccared were revived by monarchs like Philip II or Philip IV to legitimize dynastic power and project an image of peninsular unity. In addition, the team has catalogued and studied key artworks such as The Apotheosis of Saint Hermenegild by Francisco Herrera the Elder and The Triumph of Saint Hermenegild by Francisco Herrera the Younger, as well as numerous engravings and portraits of Visigothic monarchs commissioned over the centuries. The research has also helped contextualize visual strategies that link Gothic lineage with the House of Austria and the Bourbon dynasty, from the portraits commissioned by Philip IV to the sculptures in the New Royal Palace promoted by Ferdinand VI.
Credit: Universitat Jaume I of Castellón (Spain)
The UJI investigates how the Hispanic Monarchy turned Visigothic royalty into a symbol of power
History, art and collective memory come together in the project led by Víctor Mínguez, Professor of the Department of History, Geography and Art at the Universitat Jaume I in Castelló, which explores the artistic reception of Visigothic royalty between the 16th and 19th centuries. The research, funded by the 2021 National Plan for Scientific Research, aims to understand how the figures of Visigothic kings and queens were reinterpreted and used as political and cultural symbols by the Hispanic Monarchy.
The project, titled La recepción artística de la realeza visigoda en la Monarquía Hispánica (siglos XVI a XIX), establishes a theoretical framework that spans from the appreciation and preservation of Visigothic archaeological remains to their transformation into propaganda icons. It examines how figures such as Hermenegild, Leovigild or Reccared were revived by monarchs like Philip II or Philip IV to legitimize dynastic power and project an image of peninsular unity.
In addition, the team has catalogued and studied key artworks such as The Apotheosis of Saint Hermenegild by Francisco Herrera the Elder and The Triumph of Saint Hermenegild by Francisco Herrera the Younger, as well as numerous engravings and portraits of Visigothic monarchs commissioned over the centuries. The research has also helped contextualize visual strategies that link Gothic lineage with the House of Austria and the Bourbon dynasty, from the portraits commissioned by Philip IV to the sculptures in the New Royal Palace promoted by Ferdinand VI.
Among the project’s dissemination outputs, two forthcoming books stand out. They will be published after the summer and bring together the results of the research: La invención de los visigodos. Imaginario y recepción artística en la Monarquía Hispánica (University of Jaén, Jaén, 2025), and Pervivencia y metamorfosis del mundo medieval en el imaginario moderno (Trea, Gijón, 2025), the latter linked to the international conference of the same name held last November at the Castle of Peñíscola and the Universitat Jaume I.
The project still faces important challenges, such as deepening the analysis of iconographies related to Visigothic queens or studying the legacy of Visigothic heritage throughout the 19th century. These lines of work open new perspectives for understanding the symbolic construction of power in the early modern period.
The team is coordinated by Víctor Mínguez, Full Professor of Art History and Director of the Department of History, Geography and Art at the Universitat Jaume I, and founder of the Iconography and Art History Group (IHA), currently led by Inmaculada Rodríguez, also a member of the research team. The IHA is a well-established and recognised group with a solid track record in the study of images of power, ephemeral art and symbolic culture, as well as in the organisation of international conferences and exhibitions.
Through this research, the Universitat Jaume I reaffirms its commitment to the recovery and dissemination of cultural heritage, contributing to a deeper understanding of a key period in the historical and artistic identity of the Iberian Peninsula.
The project is part of PID2021-127111NB-I00, funded by MICIU/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and FEDER/UE.