Diego de Valera

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Diego de Valera (* 1412 in Cuenca , † 1488 in El Puerto de Santa María ) was a Castilian author, warrior, diplomat, humanist, translator and historian.

As a squire of John II of Castile he fought against the Nizarites (1431) before he started his voyages for the Castilian embassy within Europe. Particularly noteworthy are his moral-political works defensa de las virtuosas mujeres , Espejo de verdadera nobleza (1441), Tratado de las armas (1458–1467), Ceremonial de príncipes (1462) and Doctrinal de príncipes (1475). He also wrote a large number of letters addressed to the Catholic Monarchs , as well as some poems and notable historical works, such as the Crónica a los Reyes Católicos .

La Crónica de España de Diego de Valera. Version of 1493

Life

Diego de Valera was born in 1412, probably in Cuenca, and died in El Puerto de Santa María in 1487 or 1488 . He is part of a movement of writers who traded weapons for writing. Belonging to chivalry, his person unites the knightly and military tradition, politics, as well as literature and diplomacy.

Coming from a Jewish family who had converted to Christianity, his father Alonso Chirino was a practicing doctor for Henry III. and Johann II. From a young age, Diego de Valera was in the service of Johann II, until he became a squire of Prince Heinrich III in 1429 . was appointed. During this time he came into contact with weapons and the arts of war for the first time and was knighted in 1435.

From there on he made many trips abroad, which are said to have influenced his literary facets the most. Between 1437 and 1438 he made his first two trips to France and Bohemia , where he ultimately made use of his gift as a mediator.

Forced to understand legal books in Latin, he learned writing and intellect. So he was able to successfully mediate between the King of Castile and the Count of Bohemia.

In 1442, on the orders of John II, he was sent to visit the Queen of Dacia, the King of England and the Duke of Burgundy . There he was able to benefit from his military knowledge, for example when he attended a military parade in 1443. The chronicler Fernando del Pulgar then wrote down the heroic deeds of Diego de Valera abroad.

Various sources state that Diego de Valeria served alongside John II in the Castilian kingdom from 1445. Shortly afterwards, at the beginning of 1447, he wrote a letter to the king as administrator of Cuenca , insisting that peace with France must be preserved. A copy of the letter sent to Don Pedro de Estúñiga , who in turn was enthusiastic about Diego de Valeria's intellect, had the effect that he asked him to teach his nephew. Here began a new stage in his life, in which he worked as a teacher of the young nobleman. A year later, John II died unexpectedly in Seville .

Shortly thereafter, de Valera met the Counts of Haro , with whom he was on friendly terms. Even if Diego de Valera could never completely detach himself from his military training, they made him appreciate literature even more. In the middle of 1462 de Valera was, according to a letter addressed to Henry IV , mayor of Palencia . After five years he left the king's service to serve the House of Medinaceli , for which he took over the office of mayor of the city of Puerto de Santa María. At the same time a civil war broke out between Henry IV and his half-brother Alfons "the innocent" .

Both Diego de Valera and the Medinaceli family were on the side of Prince Alfonso, as a result of which de Valera is named as Alfonso's servant in a document drawn up in December of the same year. After the Catholic Monarchs ascended the throne in 1474, he continued to serve at their side as Mayor of Puerto de Santa María. He held this office until his death.

The letters that Diego de Valera wrote to the kings dealt with various matters: from the financial and political conditions of the kingdom to advice on how to conquer the kingdom of Granada . Some letters were answered by the kings themselves, which testifies to their deep trust and respect in the person of de Valeria. Diego de Valeria died in 1488.

Works

The works of Diego de Valera are considered to be important sources on the rule of the last Trastámaras . As a chronicler he wanted to describe the events from their own individuality and not according to his social status, because in his opinion every man should have the right to be heard. In this sense, his works of historical character, such as Crónica abreviada (1482), Crónica de los Reyes Católicos (1927) and Memorial de diversas hazañas (1941), as well as his works of moral character, such as Tratado en defensa de las virtuosas mujeres (1441), Tratado de las armas (1458–1467), Ceremonial de príncipes, Tratado de las epístolas, Providencia contra fortuna (1462), Doctrinal de príncipes (1475) etc., represent the point of view of the least heard. His voice should serve as both advice to monarchs and counsel to those who had no right to participate in public discourse. His chronicles and treatises, which have not been drawn up according to any particular system or method, represent a configuration of certain texts by other authors. The same selection of text genres suggests an opinion of his principles, which should satisfy the needs of the reader for informative purposes, therefore it is easier to direct and popular writing style.

List of works

Chronicles

  • Memorial de diversas hazañas
  • Crónica de los Reyes Católicos
  • Historia de la casa de Zúñiga
  • Genealogia de los reyes de Francia
  • Crónica de España (Seville: Alfonso del Puerto, 1482), muy reimpreso.
  • Tratado de los rieptos e Desafíos que entre los cavalleros y hijosdalgo se acostumbran hazer, según las costumbres de España, Francia e Inglaterra, en el qual se contienen quáles y QUANTOS son los casos de traición e de menosvaler e las enseñas e cotas Darmas , compuesto según Ángel Gómez Moreno entre 1458 y 1467.
  • Preeminencias y exenciones de los oficiales de armas
  • Defensa de virtuossas mugeres .
  • Tratado de exhortación y comendación de paz
  • Doctrinal de príncipes (1469-10-08 a quo - 1488 ad quem? )

Literary works

  • Breviloquio de virtudes
  • Espejo de verdadera nobleza
  • Letania
  • Salmos penitenciales
  • Cancionero

Translations

  • Árbol de batallas , del Arbre des batailles by Honoré Bouvet (1345? -1405?)

Letters

  • Providencia contra Fortuna (Seville, 1502)
  • Ceremonial de príncipes Valencia: Juan Viñao, c. 1517

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Biografia de Diego de Valera. Retrieved July 11, 2017 (Spanish).
  2. ↑ Torre y Franco-Romero, Lucas de: Mosén Diego de Valera: Su vida y obras. Ensayo biográfico. [I] . 1914 ( cervantesvirtual.com [accessed July 11, 2017]).
  3. ↑ Unybook Worldwide: Apuntes de alezeia: PROSA CABALLERESCA_EL CASO DE DIEGO DE VALERA. Literatura del siglo XV (UCM) - Unybook.com . In: Unybook . ( unybook.com [accessed July 11, 2017]).
  4. ↑ Biografia de Diego de Valera. Retrieved July 11, 2017 (Spanish).
personal data
SURNAME Valera, Diego de
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Castilian author, warrior, diplomat, humanist, translator, historian
DATE OF BIRTH 1412
PLACE OF BIRTH Cuenca
DATE OF DEATH 1488
Place of death El Puerto de Santa María