Pen portraits of illustrious Castilians
By: Fernan Pérez de Guzmán ; translated with introduction and notes by Marie Gillette and Loretta Zehngut.
Series: Medieval texts in translation
Publisher: Catholic University of America Press
Published: 2003
Place of publication: Washington, D.C
Language: eng
Number of pages: 84
Subjects: Castile (Spain) -- Biography.; Castile (Spain) -- History.
Genres: Biography.
Description: "Pen Portraits of Illustrious Castilians is the first English translation of Generaciones y Semblanzas, a compilation of thirty-four biographical sketches of the most illustrious Castilians of the mid-fifteenth century. These include three kings, a queen, and thirty nobles, prelates, and scholars who represented the most prominent families of the day. Notably, this is the first collection of biographies in Spanish historiography to be published. The text was written in Spanish in 1450 by Fernan Perez de Guzinan, an historian, moralist, politician, and poet whose personal contact with the most powerful nobles of the time provided him with the material for these intimate and revealing portraits. Through insightful commentary on his subjects' family background, personality traits, outstanding deeds, virtues, and vices, the author brings to the reader vivid portraits of some of the most important players in Castilian history. Within the portraits, occasional digressions provide the author with the opportunity to present his own personal beliefs on such timely issues as the situation of Jewish converts in Castilla, the greed and self-serving motives of many of his contemporaries, and the role played by Divine Providence in shaping the history of his country. Perez's introduction appears to be the first treatise written in Spanish on the nature of history and on the duties and responsibilities of those recording it. Book jacket."--Jacket.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 79) and index.
Table of contents: title: King Enrique III; title: Queen Catalina; title: King Fernando I of Aragón; title: Ruy López Dávalos; title: Alfonso Enríquez; title: Pedro López de Ayala; title: Diego López de Stúñiga; title: Diego Hurtado de Mendoza; title: Gonzalo Núñez de Guzmán; title: Juan García Manrique; title: Juan de Velasco; title: Sancho de Rojas; title: Pedro Tenorio; title: Juan Alfonso de Guzmán; title: Gómez Manrique; title: Lorenzo Suárez de Figueroa; title: Juan González de Avellaneda; title: Pedro Afán de Ribera; title: Garci González de Herrera; title: Juan Hurtado de Mendoza; title: Diego Fernández de Córdoba; title: Alvar Pérez de Osorio; title: Pedro Suárez de Quiñones; title: Diego Fernández de Quiñones; title: Pedro Manrique; title: Diego Gómez de Sandoval; title: Pablo, bishop of Burgos; title: Lope de Mendoza; title: Enrique de Villena; title: Gutierre of Toledo; title: Fernán Alfonso de Robles; title: Pedro, count of Trastámara; title: Pedro de Frías; title: King Juan II; title: Alvaro de Luna.