Cortes was the old assembly of the estates in Spain and Portugal. In early times the king was very dependent upon them, especially in the Kingdom of Aragon. When the kingdoms of Aragon and Castile were united under Ferdinand and Isabella the crown succeeded in rendering itself more independent of the estates, and in 1538 Charles abolished the assembly of the estates in Castile altogether. Gradually the popular liberties were encroached upon, and the cortes at length were convened only for the purpose of homage or ceremony, or when a question regarding the succession arose. In 1808 Napoleon revived the cortes for his own ends. Research Cortes
The Galiceno is a Mexican breed of pony developed during the 16th century from horses brought to South America by Hernado Cortes. The Galiceno is thought to have been a cross of the Spanish Galicianpony and the Portuguese Garranopony. The Galiceno has a placid and good natured temperament, stands 14 hands high and occurs in many colours. They are quick and athletic ponies with good stamina and are used for farm work, riding and also as pack animals. Research Galiceno
Amadeus, Duke of Aosta, was for a short time King of Spain. He was born in 1845 and died in 1890. He was the second son of Victor Emanuel of Italy, and brother of Humbert I, King of Italy. He was chosen by the Cortes King of Spain in 1870, Queen Isabella having had to leave the country in 1868. He made his entrance into Madrid as king on January the 2nd, 1871, and took the oath to the constitution. His position was far from comfortable, however, and having little hope of becoming acceptable to all parties, he abdicated on the llth of February 1873. Research Amadeus
Sir Arthur Helps was an English historian. He was born in 1817 and died in 1875. He was educated at Cambridge, graduating in 1835, and from 1859 until his death in 1875 was clerk of the privy-council. His works, which are for the most part of a subjective type comprise an early volume of essays; Thoughts in the Cloister and the Crowd (1835); CatherineDouglas, a Tragedy (1839); Essays written during the Intervals of Business (1841); Claims of Labour (1844); the series entitled Friends in Council (1847-59); Companions of my Solitude (1851); Brevia (1871); Conversations on War (1871); Thoughts on Government (1872); Animals and Their Masters (1873); Social Pressure (1875); the Spanish Conquest of America (1855-61); Lives of Pizarro (1869) and Cortes (1871); Realmah, a Romance (1868); and Ivan de Brion, a Russian story (1874). He also edited the Prince Consort's Speeches (1862), and the Queen's Leaves from a Journal (1868), receiving a knighthood shortly before his death. Research Arthur Helps
Baldomero Espartero (Duke of Vittoria) was a Spanish statesman. He was born in 1792 and died in 1879. The son of a wheelwright, be was educated for the priesthood, but joined the army as a volunteer in 1808. He took a leading part in the conflict witli the Carlists, and was one of the most prominent men in Spain during several decades of the 19th century. He was regent of the kingdom from 1841 until 1843, and again head of the government from 1854 until 1856. He was exiled in England for several years between 1843 and 1847. In 1868 his name way vaguely put forward in the Cortes as a candidate for the throne, but the proposal fell flat, and the closing years of his life were spent in retirement. Research Baldomero Espartero
Diego Velazquez was a Spanish administrator. He was born about 1460 at Cuellar, near Valladolid and died in 1522. He sailed with Cgristopher Columbus on his second voyage, and in 1511 conquered Cuba, of which he became governor, founding several towns, and remaining there until his death. Velazquez was responsible for an expedition which discovered Yucatan, in 1517, and sent Hernando Cortes to Mexico in 1518. Regretting, however, the extensive powers he had given to Cortes, he sent a force under Panfilo de Narvaez, which was overthrown by Cortes in 1520.
Diego Rodriguez De Silva Y Velazquez was a Spanish painter. He was born in 1599 at Seville and died in 1660. He studied under Francesco Herrera and then, when Herrera's temper got too much for him, under Pacheco whose daughter he later married. Velazquez also came under the influence of Luis Tristan, a pupil of El Greco. Settling in Madrid in 1623, he there painted a portrait of Fonseca, almoner to Philip IV which introduced him to the notice of the king. In the same year he painted a portrait of Philip IV, the first of a very long series which he painted of that king at every period of his life.
In 1628 Velazquez met Rubens, who came to Madrid as ambassador from the regent of the Netherlands. Having then conceived an eager desire to visit Italy, he left Spain in 1629, journeying to Venice, and then to Rome, by way of Ferrara and Bologna, and in 1630 was in Naples. The next year saw him back again at Madrid, and from that time began his long series of notable portraits.
His second visit to Italy was paid in 1649, v/hen his main object was to collect pictures and casts from the antique. On this occasion he painted his celebrated portrait of Pope Innocent X. In 1651, home again in Spain, he was given a high court appointment by the king, which took up much time. His pictures at this period include Maids of Honour, and the Tapestry Weavers.
The main feature of the art of Velazquez is its absolute truth. He was an impressionist in the truest meaning of the word, could seize upon an effect in its momentary force, and represent it in all its bare truth, painting colour as it really was. He had an unequalled command of values. There is never any false lighting or inaccurate incidence of light in his pictures, and he not only understood atmosphere, but grasped the mystery of shadows and darkness. He selected essentials with unerring judgement, and no other works are so near to the effect of nature as are his, or produce like them the true perspective of the atmosphere. Research Diego Velazquez
Don Maria Isaior Carlos de Bourbon was a Spanish prince. He was born in 1788 and died in 1855. The second son of Charles IV of Spain and brother of Ferdinand VII, he was heir presumptive to the throne until the birth of Maria Isabella in 1830. On the death of his brother he claimed the throne as legitimate king of Spain, and was recognized as such by a considerable party, who excited a civil war in his favour, and thenceforward were designated by the title of Carlists. After a course of hostilities extending over several years with varying success he found himself obliged in 1839 to take shelter in France.
In the meantime he and his descendants had been formally excluded from the succession by a vote of the Cortes in 1836. In 1845 he resigned his claims in favour of his eldest son, and in 1847 was permitted to take up his abode in Trieste, where he died. Research Don Carlos de Bourbon
Emilio Castelar was a Spanish politician and author. He was born in 1833 and died in 1899. In 1856 he was made professor of history in the University of Madrid, but becoming involved in the republican disturbances of 1866, he had to take refuge in Switzerland. Having gone back to Spain in 1868 he was returned to the Cortes in the following year. In 1873 he was elected president of the republican Cortes, but resigned in January 1874, in consequence of the vote of confidence being defeated. After the pronunciamiento in favour of Alphonso XII on the 13th of December 1874, Emilio Castelar retired from Spain, but in a year or two returned, and again sat in the Cortes. Research Emilio Castelar
Giovanni de Verrazano was a Florentine navigator. He was born in 1470 and died in 1537. He is said to have visited the north coast of North America in 1508. He engaged in plundering Spanish and Portuguese commerce, and became famous as a pirate. In 1522 he captured a treasure-ship sent from Mexico by Cortes. In 1524 he explored the coast of North America from 30 degrees to 50 degrees, and took possession for the king. Research Giovanni de Verrazano
Hernando Cortes was a Spanish adventurer. He was born in 1488 and died in 1547. In 1511 he took part in the conquest of Cuba and in 1518 he captured Mexico for Spain, and destroyed the ancient civilisation there. Research Hernando Cortes
The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
Abbreviations
Research Cortes
