Alfonso X the Dream of Empire and (Re)Writing History in the <I>Estoria de Espanna</I>

&lt;b&gt;Why did Alfonso X of Castile-Leon-Galicia relentlessly pursue his claims to the imperial thrones of the Holy Roman Empire and the Iberian 'empire' despite the high costs and probability of failure? &lt;/b&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;i&gt;WINNER: 2021-22 AHGBI-Spanish Embassy Publication Prize&lt;/i&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;This book examines how the concept of &lt;i&gt;imperium&lt;/i&gt; shapes the structure and ideology of the &lt;i&gt;Estoria de España&lt;/i&gt; the first major history of Spain in the vernacular written under Alfonso's patronage. Through a detailed analysis of its Roman section it explores how Alfonso's &lt;i&gt;scriptorium&lt;/i&gt; translated adapted and expanded sources to bolster his imperial claim. More than a chronicle the &lt;i&gt;Estoria&lt;/i&gt; served as propaganda reinforcing Alfonso's legitimacy by challenging papal authority in imperial elections and appealing to both the Castilian-Leonese nobility-whose financial support was crucial-and other Iberian monarchs. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt;Alfonso's imperial vision drew not only on the &lt;i&gt;Imperium Hispanicum&lt;/i&gt; of his father Fernando III but also on his Staufen lineage through his mother Beatriz of Swabia whose ties to the Holy Roman Empire likely influenced the historiographical models of the &lt;i&gt;Estoria&lt;/i&gt;. By blending Iberian and European traditions Alfonso positioned Castile as heir to both the Roman and Hohenstaufen legacies setting a new standard for Iberian historiography that endured for centuries.