Maria Jose Vilar Garcia

Maria Jose Vilar Garcia is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Modern, Contemporary and American History at the University of Murcia's Faculty of Arts and Humanities. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Murcia (2003) with a dissertation on the administrative and social transformations in Murcia during Spain's early liberalism (1810-1837). Her research focuses on 19th-century Spanish history, particularly diplomatic relations, monastic institutions, and political reforms. She is part of the 'America and Spain, Yesterday and Today' research group and has published widely on topics including Spanish-Moroccan diplomacy, royal exiles, and church-state dynamics.

Key research areas include the political and social history of 19th-century Spain, with special attention to diplomatic missions (e.g., Francisco Merry y Colom's 1863 Moroccan journey), monastic secularization processes in Murcia's Santa Clara monastery, and the historical memory of Queen Isabel II's exile. Her work bridges archival research with historiographical analysis, emphasizing primary sources like travel diaries and government records.

Recent publications explore themes such as the early Palestinian statehood (1948-1973), the role of liberal press in shaping political narratives, and the financial constraints impacting Spain's diplomatic corps during the transition to liberalism. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates gender studies (e.g., women's roles in monastic economies) and transnational perspectives (e.g., Spain's relationships with North African and European powers).

Her academic contributions include editing historical documents, such as the diary of Francisco Merry y Colom's Moroccan mission and the catalog of Cardinal Luis Belluga's Roman library. These projects highlight her focus on recovering marginalized historical narratives and preserving cultural heritage.