Una dama chilena defiende al rey Prudente: la conferencia de Martina Barros sobre Felipe II, 1926

This paper seeks to analyse the figure of Martina Barros as a precursor of Philip II's studies in the Chilean historiographical field of the early twentieth century. Through the qualitative analysis of her essay Felipe II y El Escorial, we will identify her main contributions and the works she used to argue her position. This will determine his level of updating and knowledge on the subject. On the other hand, the aim is to explain the context of production that allowed her to reach this result: her training (self-taught), her promoters (maternal uncle and husband), the socio-institutional context (experiences after travels, liberal and elite feminism, el Club de Señoras). In this way, we can be discovered a little-known facet of this important Chilean intellectual. Her importance lies in the fact that she inserted herself into the debate about the «Black Legend» of Philip II, although nowhere in the essay does she allude to it.