Alonso Tostado facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Most Reverend Alonso Fernández de Madrigal |
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| Bishop of Ávila | |
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Alonso Tostado
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| Church | Catholic Church |
| Diocese | Diocese of Ávila |
| In Office | 1454–1455 |
| Predecessor | Alonso de Fonseca y Ulloa |
| Successor | Martín Fernández de Vilches |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1410 |
| Died | 3 September 1455 |
| Nationality | Hispanic |
Alonso Tostado (born around 1410 – died September 3, 1455) was a very smart Spanish scholar and religious leader. He was also known as Alonso Fernández de Madrigal. People called him El Tostado or El Abulense.
Alonso Tostado was a top scholar of his time. He was a trusted advisor to John II of Castile, who was the King of Castile. For a short time, he was also the bishop of Ávila. An old saying about him was that he was a "Wonder of earth." This meant he knew an amazing amount about everything. He was also known for writing about interesting topics like witchcraft.
Contents
Life of Alonso Tostado
Alonso's father was a farmer, also named Alonso Tostado. The nickname Tostado means "toasted" or "sunburnt." It probably referred to his father's tanned skin from working outdoors.
Early Education and Learning
Alonso started his education by studying grammar with the Franciscan monks. Later, he went to the University of Salamanca. This was a very famous university in Spain. There, he studied many different subjects. He learned about philosophy and theology, which is the study of religious beliefs. He also studied law, Greek, and Hebrew.
Alonso worked incredibly hard and had a brilliant mind. He also had an amazing memory. Because of this, he learned so much that people thought he was a "wonder of the world." When he was only 22, he started teaching. Many people came to listen to his lectures because he was so knowledgeable.
Career and Public Service
Alonso Tostado later took part in an important meeting called the Council of Basle. This was a big gathering of church leaders. In 1443, he visited the papal court in Siena. Some people wrongly accused him of supporting ideas that were not allowed. But Alonso wrote a letter to Pope Eugene IV and explained that his beliefs were correct.
When he returned to Spain in 1444, King John II of Castile made him a Grand Chancellor and an advisor. This was a very important job in the king's court. In 1454, just before he passed away, he became the Bishop of Ávila. He was likely in his forties or early fifties when he died. His tomb in Avila was carved by a famous artist named Vasco de la Zarza in 1518.
Alonso Tostado's Writings
Alonso Tostado wrote many books and commentaries. A commentary is a book that explains another book, often a religious text.
Key Works and Influence
One of his important writings was called Defensorium. In this work, he shared his ideas and sometimes disagreed with other scholars like Juan de Torquemada.
He also wrote a Spanish commentary on the historical records of Eusebius. He wrote many other smaller works too. Alonso Tostado created detailed commentaries on parts of the Old Testament, like the books up to Second Chronicles. He also wrote a commentary on the Gospel according to St. Matthew. These writings were very long and included many side discussions about religious ideas and other topics.
Tostado's works were very important and influenced other scholars. For example, a famous Jewish Bible commentator named Isaac Abravanel (1437-1508) was greatly influenced by Alonso Tostado's writings.
His works were collected and published in many large volumes. Some editions were printed in Venice in 1507, 1547, 1615, and 1728.
See also
In Spanish: Alonso Fernández de Madrigal para niños
