Córdoba and the convivence: myth or reality?

Federation of Peñas of Córdoba

On Friday, 12 December, the Federation of Peñas of Córdoba hosted a shared conference by Robert Lanquar and historian Virginia Luque, author of Los sabios de Qurtuba (“The Wise Men of Qurtuba”, Almuzara, Córdoba). It was not a conventional academic conference, but a reflection rooted in the peña: a space where people sing, debate, cook and, despite their differences, continue to share the same table. A concrete example of convivence.

The concept of Convivence was presented: going beyond simple tolerance to decide how we want to live together in our neighbourhoods, our city and the wider world. From there, the formula “Córdoba, city of the three cultures” was questioned: the reality of exchanges of knowledge and everyday contact between Muslims, Jews and Christians was acknowledged, but so too were the existence of conflicts and hierarchies. Beyond both the idealised vision of an “Andalusian paradise” and those who deny any possibility of convivence, it was proposed that this legacy be understood as a “fertile myth” capable of inspiring present commitments.

Virginia Luque then brought the historical depth of Córdoba during its intellectual golden age, presenting the protagonists of Los sabios de Qurtuba. Both speakers showed that convivence is not merely a medieval memory or a tourist slogan, but a daily task that is also built, in very concrete ways, within the Peñas of Córdoba.