Fernando Riva

Fernando Riva is Associate Professor of Spanish at the University of Virginia, specializing in medieval Iberian literature and cultural exchange. His research analyzes the appropriation of Arabic and Jewish knowledge in Christian vernacular texts, examining how intellectual currents shaped literary production during political and religious transformations.

Education: Ph.D. in Spanish, Yale University (2017)

Research Focus: Dr. Riva investigates the literary reinterpretation of magic, astrology, and natural philosophy in service of imperial projects like Alfonso X's court. His work traces the transmission of esoteric knowledge through translation and its adaptation in didactic literature.

Publications: Awarded the MLA's John K. Walsh Prize for his article on intellectual curiosity in the Libro de Alexandre. His monograph Nunca mayor sobervia comidió Luçifer examines knowledge boundaries in medieval Castilian poetry. Current book project explores wisdom traditions in Alfonso X's scholarly enterprises.

Translation Work: Co-editing a critical edition of Ruy González de Clavijo's Embassy to Tamerlane for Harvard University Press's Dumbarton Oaks Medieval Library series.