I take the liberty to ask, on behalf of a group of historians, literary scholars and Spanish citizens, your support for this initiative to set up a museum in the memory of Emilia Pardo Bazán. Those who want to support it, please send your names and affiliations as soon as possible. The fate of the building will be decided in the next weeks. Feel free to circulate among fellow scholars and lovers of Spanish culture and society, of women\’s writing, and of literature and history worldwide.
Many thanks in advance and best wishes,
Mónica Bolufer
Universitat de València
HONOURING EMILIA PARDO BAZÁN
Emilia Pardo Bazán (1851-1921) was the most acclaimed Spanish woman writer, with wide international and transatlantic projection, and one of the best writers of the Spanish nineteenth century. As some of you might know, the Pazo de Meirás has been recently recovered for public use by the Spanish government after a legal fight with Franco\’s family, which had occupied it for decades. The Pazo (countryhouse) was home of Emilia Pardo Bazán\’s family. She spent there her most appreciated leisure time and wrote many of her most famous novels, essays, short stories and plays. She designed the building, rebuilt the old farm of her family in its present configuration, and the remaining part of her personal library (a portion of it burnt down) is still kept there.
It is therefore a maison d’artiste in the style of George Sand’s Nohant, one of the few remaining women writers’ houses in Europe.
Discussions about which public use should it be put for are going on. Several historians and literary scholars are promoting that it should be dedicated to the memory of Pardo Bazán. Support from international scholars is vital for the success of this campaign.
If you\’d like to support this demand, please send your name and academic affiliation to Mónica Bolufer (monica.bolufer@uv.es)
Departament d\’Història Moderna i Contemporània/Institut Universitari d\’Estudis de la Dona
Universitat de València-Facultat de Geografia i Història
Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 28
46010 València (SPAIN)
(34) 96 398 35 47/ (34) 96 386 42 45
