Martí de Riquer i Morera 8th Count of Casa Dávalos | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1914-05-03)3 May 1914 Barcelona, Spain |
| Died | 17 September 2013(2013-09-17) (aged 99) Barcelona, Spain |
| Occupations |
|
| Awards | Creu de Sant Jordi |
| SeatH of theReal Academia Española | |
| In office 16 May 1965 – 17 September 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Federico García Sanchiz [es] |
| Succeeded by | Félix de Azúa |
Martí de Riquer i Morera, 8th Count of Casa Dávalos (Catalan pronunciation:[məɾˈtiðəriˈkejmuˈɾeɾə],Spanish:Martín de Riquer y Morera) (3 May 1914[1] – 17 September 2013)[2] was a Spanish literary historian andRomancephilologist, a recognised international authority in the field. His writing career lasted from 1934 to 2004. He was also a nobleman andGrandee of Spain.[3]
Riquer was born inBarcelona in 1914, the grandson ofAlexandre de Riquer i Ynglada, from whom he rehabilitated the noble titleCount of Casa Dávalos in 1956, because it was in situation of expiry. He fought in theSpanish Civil War for theNationalist side, in theTerç de Requetès de la Mare de Déu de Montserrat and later thepropaganda service underDionisio Ridruejo's direction.
In 1977, he was appointed asenator in theCortes Constituyentes by the Spanish kingJuan Carlos I. He was also appointed chief of the Romance literature section of theConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC, "Superior Council of Scientific Investigations").
Riquer was a member of theReal Academia Española since 1965, president of theReal Academia de Buenas Letras de Barcelona, and corresponding member of numerous foreign institutions. He was theemeritus chair ofLiteraturas Románicas (Romance Literature) at theUniversity of Barcelona, which he held from 1950 to 1984. He wasviceroy of the university in 1965–6 and viceroy of theAutonomous University of Barcelona from 1970 to 1976. He is the founder and honorary president of theSociedad Roncesvals, dedicated to the study of thechanson de geste andcantar de gesta.
Among the Romance languages Riquer studied wereOccitan,French, Spanish, and Catalan. Specifically, he has written important and influential works onDon Quixote, the chansons de geste, themedieval novel (notablyAmadis de Gaula), thetroubadours,courtly love, thehistory of Catalan literature, and the social phenomenon of theknight-errant. He studied the influence ofAusiàs March,Juan Boscan, and the work ofMiguel de Cervantes. Perhaps his most ambitious work wasHistoria de la Literatura Universal ("History of Universal Literature"), in collaborationJosé María Valverde. He and his discipleAlbert Hauf were the most prominent authorities on courtly love in Spain in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Riquer was the recipient of many honours later in life. In 1962 he received thePremio March de Cataluña, in 1990 he received the fourthMenéndez Pelayo International Prize, in 1991 he received thePremio Nacional de Ensayo from the Ministry of Culture for his monographAproximació al Tirant lo Blanc, in 1997 he received thePremio Príncipe de Asturias de Ciencias Sociales, in 1999 he received thePremi Lletra d'Or forQuinze generacions d'una família catalana, and in 2000 he received thePremio Nacional de las Letras Españolas. He was elected to theAmerican Philosophical Society in 1975.[4] In 2005 he was made aGrandee of Spain byKing Juan Carlos I. He receivedDoctor honoris causa degrees (honorary doctor) from theUniversity of Rome and theUniversity of Liège.
| Spanish nobility | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Count of Casa Dávalos 11 June 1956 – 17 September 2013 | Incumbent |
| Preceded by New creation | Grandee 23 April 2005 – 17 September 2013 | Incumbent |
