This volume originated from the cycle of lectures organised by the Real Academia de la Historia to provide a more accurate and true-to-life view of Philip the Fourth in Spanish history. Shunning the traditional image of a weak and frivolous king, eleven prestigious historians analyse various facets of the monarch and his reign: politics and the economy; war and diplomacy; the major constructive and decorative undertakings; painting and theatre; and pastimes and personal affections.

José Alcalá-Zamora (1939-2019) was professor of Modern History at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid and a full member of the Real Academia de la Historia. He devoted important studies to the plays of Calderón de la Barca, as well as to Golden Age Spain and the Spanish monarchy’s foreign policy.