ARHIVELE OLTENIEI - Universitatea din Craiova

History, literature and art in the Spanish Golden Century 35man to whom, after five years, I gave my daughter in marriage, impressed by hisvirtutes and qualities and also by my trust in his big and natural talent”).The great painter died on the 7 th of August 1660, being laid out in theAlcázar, wrapped in his mantle of the order of Santiago. He was buried duringthe night at the San Juan Bautista church, in the presence of many royaldignitaries. His wife, Juana Pacheco, survived him only for a week and wasburied next to him.Today, there is no trace left of the church or the tomb of don Diego. Buthis work did survive.The Spain of Lope de VegaLope Félix de Vega y Carpio was born in Madrid in 1562, and lived alife full of historical events. Maybe, that is the reason why his works are full ofsuch elements, either we refer to his drama or his poems. First and foremost, thefigure of the king is evoked as a positive one, playing the role of the best judge,like in Lope’s plays “El mejor alcalde, el rey” (“The best mayor, the king”),“Fuenteovejuna” or “Peribáñez y el comendador de Ocaña” (“Peribáñez and thecomendador from Ocaña”).Regarding the historic events Lope assisted during his 73 years of life,they were so many, such as the personalities that were contemporary to him. Theperiod when Lope lived is one of great flowering for the cultural and spirituallife of Spain. Merchandise from all around the world arrived at the Spanishcourt, books from Italy and Sevilla, students from Salamanca, the oldestuniversity in Spain and fourth of Europe and Alcalá de Henares, painters fromthe South.In 1561, one year before Lope’s birth, Antonio de Berruguete, the mostrepresentative plastic artist of Spain’s Renaissance, died. In 1563, when Lopewas still a child, the works of the Council of Trento came to an end, establishingthe spiritual dogma of the Spanish life. In 1568-1570, there was the rebellion ofthe Moors from Alpujarras and Lope will observe the joy in his own home antof his neighbors for the revival of the Reconquista.In 1568, the prince Don Carlos and queen Isabelle of Valois, died. Closeto Lope’s house, in López de Hoyos’ studio, a young man called Miguel deCervantes wrote his first verses in honor of queen Isabela. In the same year, theduke of Alba executed the Dutch rebels Egmont and Horn, while Mary Stuartwas overthrown.At the age of nine, Lope heard the first stories about the heroic battle ofLepanto. In 1580, Francisco de Quevedo, one of the most important authors ofthe novella picaresca, was born.When Lope was 35, the great poet Fernando de Herrera, died. In 1599,Velázquez was born. In 1616, both El Greco and Cervantes die. Lope de Vegawitnessed the publishing of the two parts of Don Quijote, in 1605 and 1615, thebirth of Don Juan’s legend and Calderón’s philosophic play “Life is a dream”.