Jerónimo Zurita

Jerónimo Zurita (1512–1580) was a Spanish historian, born in Zaragoza, who founded the modern tradition of historical scholarship in Spain. He studied at Alcalá de Henares and entered public service through his father Miguel, a physician to Charles V.

In 1548 he was appointed the first official chronicler of the Kingdom of Aragon, and in 1566 Philip II made him secretary to the council of the Inquisition.

He resigned in 1571 to finish his Anales de la Corona de Aragón, printed between 1562 and 1580 after archival research in Aragon. He died at Zaragoza in November 1580.