Joaquim Veríssimo and Miquel Batllori I Munné Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences 1995

The Jury for the 1995 Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences, comprising Álvaro Cuervo García, Enrique Fuentes Quintana, Jaime García Añoveros, Manuel Jesús González, María del Carmen Iglesias Cano, Aurelio Menéndez Menéndez, Manuel Menéndez Menéndez, Pedro Schwartz Girón, Juan Urrutia Elejalde, and Juan Velarde Fuertes, gathered in Oviedo under the presidency of Manuel Fraga Iribarne, and with José López-Muñiz y González-Madroño acting as secretary, have unanimously agreed, after long debate and seven votes, making use of the authorisation granted by Article 7 of the Regulations, to grant the 1995 Prince of Asturias Award for Social Sciences jointly to Joaquim Verrísimo Serrão and to Miguel Batllori i Munné.

Joaquim Verrísimo Serrão is one of Portugal´s most important historians, currently holding the chair of the Portuguese Academy of History.

His "Historia do Portugal", in twelve volumes (1962-1990) and his "Itinerário do Rei Dom Sebastián", in two volumes (1963-1964) are now classic treatises, recognised as authentic examples of rigorous investigation, indubitable objectivity and exposition of great literary brilliance.

Professor Miguel Batllori i Munné stands for a career in research of recognised national and international prestige in the field of Spanish, Latin-American and European history. Of his rigorous studies, spanning from the Middle Ages to the contemporary epoch, his works "Gracián y el barroco" and "La cultura hispanoitaliana de los juesuitas expulsos" deserve special mention, authentic classics of his speciality.

Oviedo, 5th May 1995