Toledo Salon: Imperial Power and Financial Excess During the Reign of Charles V

Dryden G. Liddle, Ph.D., Discussion Leader

Join us as Liddle leads our discussion of the themes and ideas inspired by the "Toledo: Multicultural Challenges of Medieval Spain" program at the Herbst Theater in San Francisco on February 4th and 5th. Share your thoughts on whether Toledo's relatively tolerant culture was an illusion or an unusually idealistic medieval multicultural achievement, and enjoy deep background on Liddle's specialty: the connection between the dynastic policies of Charles V and his ruinous approach to financing his ambitions, which included the accumulation of enormous debts lent by Genoese and German bankers, which were secured against future tax revenues from the towns of Castile (how familiar does that sound?). The resulting liquidity crisis was followed by a solvency crisis, and both Spain and France defaulted on their sovereign debts in the late 1550s.

MLF: Humanities/International Relations
Location: SF Club Office
Time: 5:30 p.m. discussion
Cost: FREE
Program Organizer: George Hammond