page_title: Gabriel de Espinosa
section_title: People involved
hierarchical_section_title: Gabriel de Espinosa / People involved
caption_attribution_description: Español: Retrato de María Ana de Austria (1568-1629), que era hija ilegítima de Don Juan de Austria (hijo ilegítimo a su vez del emperador Carlos I de España), y que llegó a ser abadesa del monasterio de las Huelgas de Burgos, donde está enterrada.
context_page_description: Gabriel de Espinosa, was a Spanish impostor. He was the protagonist of the incident known as the "baker of Madrigal", which consisted of the impersonation of the late King Sebastian of Portugal, for which he was executed.
context_section_description: Very little is known of Espinosa's early years. Some scholars believe that he was probably born in Toledo as this town had he oldest document known about him, his title of baker, but in Madrigal is believed thar he was born there. What is known is that in 1594 he arrived at Madrigal alongside his two-year-old daughter, Clara, and his wife, Isabel Cid. People noticed that the new baker spoke several languages (at least, French and German), knew how to ride a horse and, in general, appeared to be more than a humble officer. Although it is not impossible that he had learned these skills working for the militia of Captain Pedro Bermúdez, where he served.
  In the same town lived Friar Miguel de los Santos, the possible thinker of the scam, who had been a confessor in the court of King Sebastian, and had supported the Prior of Crato in his intention to succeed said king. For that reason he had been exiled from Portugal and sent to Castile by Philip II.
  The third person involved is María Ana de Austria, daughter of John of Austria. She entered the convent of Agustinas de Madrigal at the age of six, sent by his uncle Philip II. It seems that she had no religious vocation whatsoever, and that she preferred adventure stories, especially if they referred to her father or her cousin Sebastian, whom, like many others at the time, she believed alive.
caption: María Ana de Austria.
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