Alfonso X "The Wise": The Last Almohad Caliph?

When dealing with the prolific intellectual output during the reign of King Alfonso X, known to be indebted to Arabic sources, hardly any reference is made to the Almohad context. It is particularly striking that Almohad culture is even ignored when referring to the influence of Averroism. It was in fact the Almohad caliphs who encouraged the development of Aristotelian philosophy, which interest in philosophy and knowledge formed part of the "sapientialist" concept of the Almohad caliphate itself. This chapter discusses this often-disregarded "sapientialism," insisting on its connection with Alfonso X, continuing the line of inquiry begun by Ana M. Montero. The chapter describes what was involved in the political and cultural project of the Almohads, in order to show the parallels with the political and cultural project of Alfonso X.Keywords: Almohad caliphs; Averroism; cultural project; King Alfonso X; political project; sapientialism