ABSTRACT
Vicent Baydal interrogates Spanish national myths and how they have been socially constructed since the middle ages. The diverse heritage of the original period has been selectively plundered by later ages, usually for concrete political ends. By the nineteenth century, the broad parameters of Spanish national articulation can be found, often ascribing the word unity or unification of the national territory particular importance. Idealisation of the Visigothic period as the first expression of Spanish unity was one manifestation of this process. Conservative sectors attached particular importance to a Catholic heritage whilst the Spanish progressive tradition emphasised the medieval and early modern liberties, including religious toleration, that were later suppressed. Basques and Catalans also constructed their own mythologies as a counterweight to the unifying message of Spanish nationalism. These debates continue to resonate into the present, and are not necessarily informed by the rich and nuanced historiographical work that is now available to us.
