Cholevinae (Coleoptera, Leiodidae) ecuatorianos: nuevos datos y dos nuevas especies

Two new taxa are described: Dissochaetus napoensis n. sp. and Adelopsis tandapi n. sp. Also, Adelopsis coronaria Gnaspini and Peck, 1996 and Ptomaphagus (Adelops) bordoni (Jeannel, 1964) are recorded from Ecuador for the first time and some of their morphological characters discussed. Finally, new data are given and the geographical distribution of another five species is extended.Dos nuevos taxones son descritos: Dissochaetus napoensis n. sp. y Adelopsis tandapi n. sp. Se citan por vez primera para Ecuador Adelopsis coronaria Gnaspini y Peck, 1996 y Ptomaphagus (Adelops) bordoni (Jeannel, 1964) y de ellas se destacan algunas de sus características morfológicas. Por último, se aportan nuevos datos y se amplía la distribución geográfica de otras cinco especies

«Una perfecta princesa». Casa y vida de la reina Isabel de Valois (1559-1568). Primera Parte

Two facts stand out in the life of Isabel de Valois: her marriage at the age of 13 to Philip II of Spain, and her death, aged 22. Her early death and the survival of some striking portraits have contributed in good measure to the aura of romantic tragedy that still envelops her. But little is known about her character or her role as queen. This study seeks to get closer to her personality and to the life she led primarily through the extant documentation about her household. It traces the personal and political forces that shaped the queen’s franco-spanish household and some of the strong pressures she was under from a young age. It demonstrates that Isabel was incapable of dealing with her vital role as head of the mass of people who made up the royal household, and examines some of the grave consequences both for individuals and for royal authority. The staggering and unsustainable debts she accumulated are also evaluated. This chapter probes deeper into how the Spanish court functioned in the sixteenth-century and explores the relative importance of personality and external limitations in the success and failure of the queen

Viewpoint: reflections on the European Union's future by way of its past

Historians are frequently asked what the present can learn from the past, so it was no surprise that the question was put to a panel on early forms of European cooperation at the Library of the European Parliament in Brussels on 7 December 2016. My remit was to discuss European cooperation in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when most of Europe was divided into composite states, one of which has been described as the precursor of the European Union. Large-scale international coalitions were frequent, and a distinct, European identity evolved. But it was also a time of almost constant civil and international wars: to understand Europe’s past it is necessary to consider unity alongside disunity