El joven Simonet y el esplendor de la civilización árabe

In 1857, Arabist Francisco Javier Simonet presented a Chair on “Literary History of the Arabs in Spain” with a Discourse on the importance of Arab studies, which clearly praised the virtues and accomplishments of the Arab civilization. The content of the lecture was published on the journal El Occidente (The West) and it was reproduced on the journal La America in two instalments on December 1858. Its interest for the history of Arabism lies on the contribution of a young Simonet very influenced by the romantic idealization of the Arabs, and who insisted on the contrast between the development reached by this Arab civilization and the decadence of the Middle Age European culture. Simonet would evolved throughout the years towards a completely opposite position, becoming a firm detractor of the Muslim civilization. REIM reproduces the two instalments of this Discourse.