Mark John Radomski

Exploring Seville’s Cosmopolitanism: Literary Perspectives and the Guadalquivir River in the Early Modern Era

My dissertation addresses early modern Seville’s burgeoning multiethnic identity in light of the historical concept of cosmopolitanism. I examine the city’s dynamics through various literary works—fictional and nonfictional narratives, theatrical works, and poetry—focusing on texts written between 1503 and 1649, when Seville experienced dramatic growth and became a gateway to the Americas. The city’s shoreline along the Guadalquivir River serves as an ideal location for exploring cosmopolitanism because it connected the metropolis to the Atlantic and Mediterranean worlds and beyond—to the Americas, Asia, and other regions. Trade and cultural exchanges among numerous groups within the city contributed to the framework of Seville’s identity. By exploring cosmopolitanism historically and in the context of early modern Seville, my research offers valuable insights into our contemporary society. Our present-day world, shaped by early modern exploration and commerce, continues to grow as modern cities expand and adapt to ever-changing global realities. Awareness of early modern Seville is crucial for our present understanding of cosmopolitan communities in an increasingly polarized world, providing historical antecedents from which we can learn.

Mark Radomski is a PhD candidate in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research interests focus on early modern Spanish literature, particularly concerning the dynamics of cosmopolitanism in the context of Seville. He has presented his work at the Renaissance Society of America, the Renaissance Conference of Southern California, the Society for Renaissance and Baroque Hispanic Poetry, and the Midwest Modern Language Association. As a doctoral student, he was a UW Madison Letters and Sciences Teaching Fellow and received a Mellon Foundation Grant to conduct research in Madrid. He earned his Master’s degree from the Complutense University of Madrid and completed his Bachelor’s in Comparative Literature at the University of California, Los Angeles.