Spanish Authors

Little is known about this archpriest of Hita - most of the information on his life is actually derived from the very verses contained in his works. This Spanish poet and musician is said to have been born in 1283 in a place called Alcalá, which some consider to be Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) and others believe to be Alcalá la Real (Jaén).

Having studied in Toledo, he allegedly spent almost 13 years in prison, sent there upon orders of the Archbishop of Toledo. During his years of confinement he wrote his masterpiece El Libro de buen amor (The Book of Good Love), a compilation of mixed Arab, classical and medieval stories, fables and autobiographic adventures.The open mindedness and witty satire contained in this literary work make it one of the most enduring works of Spanish medieval literature.