Juan Manuel | |
|---|---|
 Don Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena | |
| Born | 5 May 1282 Escalona |
| Died | 13 June 1348 (aged 66) Córdoba |
| Noble family | Castilian House of Ivrea |
| Spouse(s) | Elizabeth of Majorca Constance of Aragon Blanca de La Cerda y Lara |
| Issue |
|
| Father | Manuel of Castile |
| Mother | Beatrice of Savoy |
Don Juan Manuel (5 May 1282 – 13 June 1348) was a Spanish medieval writer, nephew of Alfonso X of Castile, son of Manuel of Castile and Beatrice of Savoy. He inherited from his father the great Lordship of Villena, receiving the titles of Lord, Duke and lastly Prince of Villena.[1] He married three times, choosing his wives for political and economic convenience, and worked to match his children with partners associated with royalty. Juan Manuel became one of the richest and most powerful men of his time, coining his own currency as the kings did. During his life, he was criticised for choosing literature as his vocation, an activity thought inferior for a nobleman of such prestige.
Some confusion exists about his names and titles. Juan Manuel often refers to himself in his books as "Don Juan, son of infante don Manuel". But some 19th and early 20th century scholars started calling him infante, a title he did not possess, as in medieval Castile only the sons of kings were called infantes (and he was the grandson of Fernando III).[2] The same applies for the title of Duke and Prince of Villena, that he received from Alfonso IV and Pedro IV of Aragón. As these titles follow the Aragonese nobiliary traditions, they were of little interest to the Castilian author, to the point that he never used them in his writings or correspondence, and they have only been associated to him by a handful of scholars.[2]
- ^ Aurelio Pretel Marín; Miguel Rodríguez Llopis (1998). El señorío de Villena en el siglo XIV [The Seigneury of Villena in the 14th Century]. Albacete: Instituto de Estudios Albacetenses "Don Juan Manuel" - Excma. Diputación de Albacete. ISBN 8487136869.
- ^ a b Diez de Revenga, Francisco Javier; Ruiz Abellán, María Concepción (2003-12-01). "Denominación y Títulos de Don Juan Manuel". Miscelánea Medieval Murciana (8): 16 & 27. doi:10.6018/j5571. ISSN 1989-4597.