Gregorio Marañón

Who was Gregorio Marañón?

Gregorio Marañón y Posadillo was a Spanish physician, scientist, historian, writer and philosopher. He married Dolores Moya in 1911, they had four children.

An austere, humanist and liberal man, he is considered one of the most brilliant Spanish intellectuals of the 20th century. He also stands out for his elegant literary style. He was a Republican, fought the Miguel Primo de Rivera dictatorship though he later showed his disagreement with Spanish Communism.

Son of a jurist, his mother died when he was three years old. He grew up as an avid reader, and learned English, French and German. From a very early age he was in contact with the intellectual circles of the time due to his father's friendships with José María de Pereda, Alfredo Vicenti, Marcelino Menéndez Pelayo and Benito Perez Galdós among others.

Gregorio Marañón accompanied young king Alfonso XIII during the royal visit to the backward region of Las Hurdes in 1922.

In Medical School he had five great teachers: Federico Olóriz Aguilera, Santiago Ramón y Cajal, Juan Madinaveitia, Manuel Alonso Sañudo and Alejandro San Martín y Satrústegui.