Abstract
- Domingo de Toral y Valdés is recognized today as having written one of the last autobiographical memoir of a soldier during the height of the Spanish Empire (although it was not published until the end of the 19th century). The in-depth descriptions of military failures dominate the autobiography and, as a result, academic investigations have focused almost exclusively on those aspects. However, Toral y Valdes’ unexpected ability to observe and represent non Catholics in an even-handed and positive manner has been ignored. Especially during his time in Aleppo, where he was detained as a spy by Ottoman authorities, Toral y Valdés is eventually liberated through the intervention of Jews who speak Spanish and who have lived recently in Madrid. What follows in his autobiography is a detailed, favorable representation of the Jews of Aleppo, and my article will shed light on this undervalued cultural aspect of the work.