Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas
Antonio de Herrera y Tordesillas (* 1549 in Cuéllar near Segovia , † March 29, 1625 in Madrid ) was a Spanish historian .
Life
He came from a noble sfamilie from the area around Segovia and studied in Italy . His patron King Philip II made him the official historian of the Spanish Empire of America. Herrera was mainly concerned with writing his report on the Spanish discoveries and conquests in America up to 1554, the Historia general de los hechos de los Castellanos en las islas y tierra firme del mar oceano . He relied on older sources. The work was published in four volumes in Madrid from 1601 to 1615. It became the most famous contemporary work of its kind.
He also translated from French, Italian and Latin ( Tacitus ) into Spanish.
Works (excerpts)
- Historia general de los hechos de los Castellanos en las islas y tierra firme del Mar Oceano (Madrid, 1601–1615, 4 volumes)
- Historia de lo sucedido en Escocia a Inglaterra en quarenta y quatro annos que vivio la reyna Maria Estuarda (Madrid, 1589)
- Cinco libros de la historia de Portugal, y conquista de las isles de los Acores, 1582–1583 (Madrid, 1591)
- Historia de lo sucedido en Francia, 1585–1594 (Madrid, 1598)
- Historia general del mundo del tiempo del rey Felipe II, desde 1559 haste su muerte (Madrid, 1601–1612, 3 vols)
- Tratado, relation, y discurso historico de los movimientos de Aragon (Madrid, 1612)
- Comentarios de los hechos de los Españoles, Franceses, y Venecianos en Italia, etc., 1281–1559 (Madrid, 1624)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Herrera y Tordesillas, Antonio de |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Spanish historian |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1549 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cuéllar |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 29, 1625 |
| Place of death | Madrid |