Wenceslao Emilio Retana y Gamboa (28 September 1862 – 21 January 1924), also known as W. E. Retana or Wenceslao E. Retana, was a 19th-century Spanish polymath.

Wenceslao Retana
Retana circa 1901
Born
Wenceslao Emilio Retana y Gamboa

(1862-09-28)28 September 1862
Died21 January 1924(1924-01-21) (aged 61)
Madrid, Spain
NationalitySpanish
OccupationPolymath
Academic background
Alma mater

A civil servant, colonial administrator, biographer, political commentator, publisher, bibliographer, and Filipinologist, Retana was a "onetime adversary" of Philippine national hero José Rizal who later became an admirer who wrote the first biographical account of the life of Rizal, entitled Vida y Escritos del Dr. José Rizal (The Life and Writings of Dr. José Rizal).[1][2] Rosa M. Vallejo described Retana as the "foremost" non-Filipino filipinologist.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ Roces, Alejandro R. Rizal's Death Anniversary, philstar.com, 29 December 2009.
  2. ^ Yoder, Robert L. Wenceslao "Wenchesco" E. Retana, from footnotes of Chapter 18: Rizal the Man, joserizal.info
  3. ^ Vallejo, Rosa M. (...) "Wenceslao Emilio Retana y Gamboa, foremost foreign Filipinologist" (...), Bibliographical Works, Philippine Bibliographies, ncca.gov.ph. Accessed 21 April 2024.

External links edit