Columbia Encyclopedia

(Encyclopedia) Pereda, José María de hōsāˈ märēˈä dā pārāˈᵺä [key], 1833–1906, Spanish novelist. His stories are laid chiefly in his native Santander. An aristocrat by birth, he wrote sympathetical...

(Encyclopedia) Sagua la Grande säˈgwä lä gränˈdā [key], city (1984 pop. 50,000), Villa Clara prov., central Cuba, on the Sagua la Grande River. It is a road and rail hub and the commercial and processing cent...

(Encyclopedia) La Tène lä tĕn [key], ancient Celtic site on Lake Neuchâtel, Switzerland, that gives its name to the second and final period of the European Iron Age. It is characterized by an art style that drew...

(Encyclopedia) Cyrano de Bergerac, Savinien sävēnyăNˈ sēränōˈ də bĕrzhəräkˈ [key], 1619–55, French novelist. Satirizing the customs and beliefs of his time, he wrote two fantastic romances about visit...

(Encyclopedia) Tocqueville, Alexis de älĕksēs də tôkvēlˈ [key], 1805–59, French politician and writer. A nobleman, he was prominent in politics, particularly just before and just after the Revolution of 184...

(Encyclopedia) La Mesa lə māˈsə [key], city (1990 pop. 52,931), San Diego co., S Calif., a suburb of San Diego; inc. 1912. It is a retail center and a popular residence for upper- and middle-income professionals...

(Encyclopedia) Chrétien de Troyes or Chrestien de Troyes both: krātyăNˈ də trwä [key], fl. 1170, French poet, author of the first great literary treatments of the Arthurian legend. His narrative romances, comp...

(Encyclopedia) Bastidas, Rodrigo de rôᵺrēˈgō dā bästēˈᵺäs [key], c.1460–1526, Spanish conquistador in Colombia. In 1501, accompanied by Balboa and Juan de la Cosa, he discovered the mouths of the Magd...

(Encyclopedia) Rémusat, Charles, comte de shärl kôNt də rāmüzäˈ [key], 1797–1875, French philosopher and liberal politician. He was a deputy (1830–48) and minister of the interior (1840) under King Louis...

(Encyclopedia) Gálvez, José de gälˈvāth [key], 1720–87, Spanish colonial administrator. Appointed as a governor in the Philippines in 1750, he later became visitor general to New Spain (1765–72), holding m...