Thus, our project tackles the question of how to interpret the heritage left by the diverse exile communities of British and Irish people in the Iberian Peninsula, and by the Spanish and Portuguese travelling to Britain and Ireland: ranging from those exiled for religious reasons to travelers, merchants and diplomats.
We analyze how this presence of British and Irish people in the Peninsula, and vice versa, brought about complex networks that contributed to establish the basis of a common culture of exchange of ideas and artistic expression. These “visitors” faced a world that was very different from their own, so establishing networks of exchange became a basic strategy for mutual understanding between communities and individuals. Our group studies a range of networks: political, diplomatic and religious as well as those derived from travel and commerce. Their resulting textual production and transmission is our main source of research.
A network of Catholic colleges was established in the Iberian Peninsula to give refuge to Irish, Scottish and English exiles. These colleges were under the direct protection of the Spanish monarchy but were also regarded with extreme suspicion by their home authorities. Celebrations and literary production served as a means of propaganda among the citizens of Valladolid, Sevilla, Salamanca, Lisbon or Madrid, where these groups of exiles established themselves.
