Visigothic identity of Spain

[faltin2001]

I saw an interesting programme recently, featuring a Duchess of Medina-
Sidonia. The programme was about her ancestor who commanded the 
Spanish armada in 1588. However, she mentioned that here family was 
long believed to be of Visigothic origin. The family name of the dukes 
of Medina Sidonia is Guzman and she explained that earlier family 
tradition and historians claimed that this name was derived from 
Gundomaris. However, being a historian herself, she revealed that this 
derivation was incorrect. She said that Guzman is actually a moorish 
name and that papers in the family archives show that the earliest 
ancestors of the Dukes of Medina-Sidonia - one of the oldest noble 
family of Spain  - were originally moslems. In general, this 
illustrates that the Visigothic past was glorified in Spain, due to 
the associataion with Christianity, whereas the Ostrogothic past of 
Italy was played down as the Germanic Goths were regarded as  inferior 
to classical Roman culture. 

Cheers,

Dirk 




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