Francisco de Vitoria: Celebrating the 500th Anniversary of the School of Salamanca
Location:
Raeburn Room,
Old College
Date/time
Thu 12 November 2026
09:30-17:00
This workshop marks the 500th anniversary of the School of Salamanca and explores the work and legacy of Francisco de Vitoria from a range of historical and contemporary perspectives. The presentations will examine Vitoria’s contribution to international law, just war theory, the intellectual legacy of the School of Salamanca, and its engagement with questions of slavery and political community.
The event is organised by Amalia Amaya, Deval Desai, Nehal Bhuta and Rozemarijn Ronald Host, in collaboration with the Spanish Consulate in Edinburgh, the Edinburgh Centre for International and Global Law, and the Edinburgh Centre for Legal Theory.
The event is open to students and members of the public.
Agenda of the day
• 09:30–09:45 — Welcome and Introduction
• 09:45–10:50 — José María Beneyto, “Francisco de Vitoria and the Paradox of Universalism in International Law”
• 10:50–11:55 — Francesca Iurlaro, “The New Pope: Francisco de Vitoria and Just War Theory under Leo XIV”
• 11:55–12:15 — Coffee Break
• 12:15–13:20 — José Luis Egío, “Beyond the Myth of Vitoria as Founding Father of International Law: Some Insights about the Complex Legacy of Francisco de Vitoria”
• 13:20–14:20 — Lunch
• 14:20–15:25 — Daniel Alleman, “Francisco de Vitoria, the School of Salamanca, and Slavery”
• 15:25–15:45 — Coffee Break
• 15:45–16:50 — Annabel Brett, “The Science of a Commonwealth”
• 16:50–17:00 — Closing Remarks
Image credit: Adobe stock