Pierre Vilar (3 May 1906, Frontignan – 7 August 2003, Saint-Palais) was a French historian specialized in the history of Catalonia and Hispanism. He is considered one of the most authoritative 20th-century historians for the history of Spain,[1] for both the Ancien Régime and modern history.[citation needed] He and Jaume Vicens Vives were among the most influential historians of Catalonia.[2]
His short 1947 essay Histoire de l'Espagne (History of Spain), despite being banned under Francoism, has a great success, and after the death of the Francisco Franco was frequently used in progressive circles and for teaching. In 2009, it reached its 22nd edition.