Intellectual life and literary genius. Contemplation and imagination in the service of the word. In Spain the profession of writer has never been rewarded with any degree of social recognition. However some of the towering works of universal literature have sprung from the pens of Spanish writers. Poetry has taken its inspiration from various mediaeval compositions, mystic introspection or the inventiveness of contemporary avant-garde movements. Golden Age theatre is today a universal classic. And Spain was the source of one of the world's first novels and one of its most universal characters: Don Quixote. In contrast, the reflexive nature of figures such as Ramon Llull, Francisco de Vitoria, Miguel Servet and Ortega y Gasset has left its mark on philosophy, theology and the art of the essay in our country.