Dates
December 10, 2025
When?
Soon
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On Wednesday, December 10th, at 7 p.m., the writer Antonio Martínez Llamas will present his book. He will be accompanied by Héctor Escobar.

It is inappropriate to question the erotic nature of Philip II, even though historiography has glossed over the "sentimental content" of the Prudent King. Certainly, reducing politics to Philip's sole activities obscures the man's character and his immediate circumstances. Isn't it a mistake to neglect Philip II's "passionate sovereignty"?
So, what did women mean to him? His wives, his daughters, his lovers.

His sexual drive was evident, and it remains to be seen whether he acted from a completely androcentric perspective. He was a monarch with many secrets, and the feminine universe was his most challenging "personal arithmetic." Naturally, all his sentimental attitudes must be interpreted according to the concepts of sexuality of the 16th century, where menstruation, for example, was viewed with nuances that we consider unacceptable today. Sexual relations, the realm of orgasm, consanguinity, the
Arranged marriages and the status of mistresses are factors that must be contextualized within their historical period, and we must avoid the mistake of interpreting them solely through modern lenses. In the 16th century, the debate between feminism and machismo was nonexistent, as male dominance was all-encompassing.

Antonio Martínez Llamas. National Historical Novel Prize "Alfonso XI the Wise" for "Isabel de Valois". Prince of Asturias Foundation Prize. Paradores de España Prize. Books: "Leonese Tales", "Isabel de Valois", "A Night with Two Women", "Stories in 999 Words", "The Lady of Arintero", "Peleagonzalo: The Battle of Toro", "Philip II the Man" and "Philip II: The Enigma of the Sick Man".

Free admission until full capacity.

Address and map location

  • Postal address Biblioteca Pública de León - C/ Santa Nonia, 5. municipality of León . NaN. León