Smithsonian Journeys Experts

Ana Afzali is a Spanish-born medievalist and a scholar of the Iberian Renaissance who specializes in the history and literature of Spain and Portugal. Currently a tenured professor at Citrus College in southern California, Ana received a Distinguished Faculty award in 2019 and has also taught Spanish culture, literature, and language at the University of California-Los Angeles.

She has published extensively on the political and cultural history and literature of Spain and Portugal in the Middle Ages, and authored the book Modern Spain (2009) as well as a book about the Spanish Civil War (2022) that is awaiting translation into English.

A native of Madrid with family roots in Galicia, Ana has traveled and lectured extensively through Spain and Portugal, including with numerous Smithsonian Journeys tours since 2008. She is well-versed in the history and culture of the Camino de Santiago, having hiked the pilgrimage trail several times.