The cultural origins of the British Empire can be traced back to Spain’s earlier experience, which, by the second half of the 16th century, had already established a vast and structured empire in the Americas. Translations from Spanish into English were the main vehicles of cultural exchange between Tudor England and Catholic Spain—its rival—which, throughout the 16th century, served as a key European channel for the dissemination of news from the New World. From an original global history perspective, this essay meticulously retraces concrete examples of English translations that were fundamental to the transmission of not only the stories of the conquistadors, but also of early knowledge of major oceanic routes, exotic plants from newly discovered lands, and Mesoamerican civilizations. Alongside narratives of the exploits of Hernán Cortés and Francisco Pizarro, reports of the Spanish imperial model also crossed the Channel. These cultural influences helped transform English society and ultimately facilitated the country’s future colonial endeavors.
University of Florence, Italy
Book Title
Traduttori e mercanti
Book Subtitle
La scoperta inglese del Nuovo Mondo
Authors
Silvia Cinnella Della Porta
Peer Reviewed
Number of Pages
442
Publication Year
2025
Copyright Information
© 2025 Author(s)
Content License
Metadata License
Publisher Name
Firenze University Press
DOI
10.36253/979-12-215-0683-9
ISBN Print
979-12-215-0682-2
eISBN (pdf)
979-12-215-0683-9
eISBN (xml)
979-12-215-0684-6
Series Title
Premio Tesi di Dottorato Città di Firenze