Alfonso X el Sabio
1252-1284
Early Spanish Rulers Up to Alfonso
Alfonso X el Sabio (1221-1284)
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Assumes throne in 1252 on death of his father,
Fernando III el Santo
Reign plagued by internal struggles with nobles
and royal succession (eldest son Fernando de la
Cerda vs second eldest Sancho)
Ambitions as Holy Roman Emperor through
mother’s side
Suffers grave illness during his life (cancer)
Contributions
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Continuation of School of Translators in Toledo
established under King Fernando III el Santo
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Innovation: Translations of Arabic and Hebrew
works into Castilian rather than Latin
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Growth and prestige of Castilian as a language
of culture, learning and politics
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Continues repopulation and conquest of AlAndalus
Works under Alfonso’s Direction:
An Encyclopedic Enterprise
Legislative
 Scientific (including astronomical and
astrological)
 Recreational
 Prose works
 Poetic (religious and secular)
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Legislative
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Setenario (begun c. 1252 during reign of
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Partida
Siete Partidas (begun 1251; 1256-65) a vast law
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Fernando III) much of it incorporated into 1st
code that encompasses every aspect of society
El espéculo (1255) Five books (6th and 7th
referred to, but never compiled). Book I: law,
doctrine of Trinity, articles of Christian faith;
Books II -III: political and military organization
of the kingdom; Books IV-V: Justice.
Siete Partidas
1st Duties of clergy and matters of dogma. Except
title I, on law (what it is, who has power to
make laws and why, etc.)
2nd Emperors, kings & other lords: the rights &
duties of those who govern
3rd Justice and its administration
4th Matrimony, kinship, legitimate and illegitimate
children, slavery and freedom, etc.
5th Commercial law: loans, debts, contracts, and
other forms of commerce and dealings
6th Wills, inheritance, guardianship of orphans
and minors
7th Criminal Law: crimes, punishments, etc. Laws
governing Jews, Moors and heretics
Scientific
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Translations of astronomical texts
include:
Libro de las cruces (1259, 1270's)
Libro de las Tablas Alfonsíes (1256-1277)
Scientific works: together around 23
treatises
Libro de las Tablas Alfonsíes
Scientific (con’t)
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Libros del saber de la astrología. (1276-1279) 16
treatises that attempt to systematize the movements of
the stars and constellations
Astrological:
Lapidario (1250/1279) the properties of stones and their
relation to the movement of the planets
Magic:
A version of the Liber Picatrix (1256), an 11th century
Andalusian treatise on talismanic magic.
Historical Works
General Estoria
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Oldest known vernacular universal history.
Begins at the creation up to the birth of the
Virgin Mary
Principle sources: the Bible, Josephus'
Antiguedades judaicas and the Historia
Scholastica of Peter Comestor
Secondary sources: classical writers (Ovid, Pliny,
etc.) and Arabic historians
Historical Works
Estoria de España (Primera Crónica General)
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codices: E1 (1272) (from the first inhabitants, through the history of
Rome to the arrival of the Arabs [under Alfonso’s direction]) and E2
(1289) (continued under Sancho IV, up to the reign of Fernando el
Santo [1217-52])
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Primary sources: Rodrigo Jiménez de Rada (known as El toledano):
De Rebus Hispaniae (or Historia Gothica, 1242)
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Lucas de Tuy (known as El Tudense): Chronicon Mundi (1236)
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Other sources: Ovid, Lucan’s Pharsalia, classical historians and geographers,
epic poems, etc.
Recreational
El libro de Ajedrez,
dados, e tablas
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Codex (T-1-6) Seville,
1283
Three treatises on
games (chess, dice
and astronomical
tables) from Arabic
texts
150 miniatures
Prose
Calila e Dimna (1251/2)
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Translation when Alfonso still a prince.
First major work of Arabic didactic prose in
the "tale within a tale" framework widely
disseminated in Spain.
Derived from Hindu Panchatantra
Las Cantigas de Santa Maria
written in Galician Portuguese
Four codices:
 MS To Toledo (100
cantigas)
 MS T.I.1 T Escorial
(200 cantigas) Códice
Rico
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MS B.I.2 E Escorial
(400 cantigas)
MS F Florence (104
cantigas; unfinished)
Importance of the Cantigas
Resource for depiction of daily life,
interaction among groups (Christians,
Jews, Muslims; women)
 Historical resource: some cantigas show
King Alfonso or members of his family or
historical events
 Rich source for musicologists, art
historians and literary specialists
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Códice Rico
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Consists of narratives
of Marian miracle
tales collected from
Europe and Spain
Musical notations
Richly colored
illustrations
Every tenth cantiga is
a lyric praise poem
Prologue
Alfonso as Holy Mary’s Troubador
Cantiga de loor
Rose of roses and flower of
flowers,
Lady of ladies, Lord of lords.
Rose of beauty and fine
appearance
And flower of happiness and
pleasure,
lady of most merciful bearing,
And Lord for relieving all woes
and cares;
Rose of roses and flower of
flowers,
Lady of ladies, Lord of lords.
Cantiga 42 (Códice Rico)
How they were renovating
a church and placed the
image of Holy Mary under
the portal
How young men played ball
in a meadow
Cantiga 42 Panels 3 & 4
How the image of Holy Mary
curled its finger around the ring
which the young man had given
her in token of love"
How the youth married the other
woman and left Holy Mary
Cantiga 42 Panels 5 & 6
How Holy Mary made the
groom get up from beside
the bride and leave her
How the groom went into a
hermitage and lived a pious
life
MS B.I.2 E Escorial
http://www4.gvsu.edu/wrightd/cantigas.htm
Codice F (Florence)
Cantigas de Escarnio y de mal dezir
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Poetic texts of a satirical nature
Example: "O qui foi passar a serra"
In 1264 the Moorish King of Granada
raised a rebellion, but in 1265 Alfonso
forced him to sign a truce at Vega. This
cantiga de escarnio (satire) is directed
against Spanish traitors who joined the
Moors.
O qui foi passar a serra
He who passed over the mountains
And did not want to serve on the plain-Is he the one, when war was returned,
Who's now bragging?
Since he vacillates so much now,
Let him be damned!
He who doled out his money
Without attracting any good knights-Is it because he wasn't first in the fight
That he's bragging now?
Since he came at us with his rear,
Let him be damned!
O qui foi passar a serra
(cont’d)
He who raised a great soldiery
But never quite a good cavalry,
Since he didn't go to Granada, is he
The one who's bragging?
Whether he's rich or has a strong band,
Let him be damned!
He who loaded up his bags
With a little gold and a lot of guff,
And never quite entered the town of Vega,
Is he bragging now?
Since he's more like fat than butter,
Let him be damned!
From: J.Wilhelm, ed. Lyrics of the Middle Ages, An Anthology. NY: Garland, 1990, 243-
44.)
Cultural Role of the Iberian Peninsula
Map from: http://faculty.washington.edu/petersen/alfonso/alfonsox.htm
Statue of Alfonso X,
Biblioteca Nacional, Madrid