Antonio de Villegas facts for kids

Antonio de Villegas (born around 1522 in Medina del Campo, Valladolid, Spain; died around 1551) was a Spanish writer. He was known for his unique writing style during a time when many writers were inspired by Italian poetry.

Villegas was part of a group of writers, including Gregorio Silvestre, who preferred a more traditional Spanish style of poetry. They did not follow the popular "Italian style" that was common in their time.

His Main Work: Inventario

Antonio de Villegas wrote both stories and poems. These were collected in a book called Inventario (which means "Inventory") published in 1565.

Historia del Abencerraje y la hermosa Jarifa

One of the most famous parts of Inventario is a story called Historia del Abencerraje y la hermosa Jarifa. This story was written in 1551. Many people consider it to be the first "Moorish novel." A Moorish novel is a type of story that often features characters from the Muslim kingdoms in Spain during that period.

The story is about a Muslim man who is captured by a Christian knight named Rodrigo de Narváez. The Muslim prisoner is allowed to leave to marry his beloved Jarifa, but he promises to return to prison afterward. He keeps his word and comes back. This story shows themes of honor and keeping promises. However, some modern experts now believe that Villegas might not have been the actual writer of this specific story.

Impact of Inventario

The story Historia del Abencerraje y la hermosa Jarifa was very popular and short. Because of its success, it was often included in other famous books, like Diana by Jorge de Montemor, starting from 1561.

Many important writers of the time admired Inventario. For example, Lope de Vega wrote a play based on the story called El remedio en la desdicha. Other famous writers like Juan de Timoneda, Sebastián de Covarrubias, and Miguel de Cervantes (who wrote Don Quixote) also praised Villegas's Inventario.

Besides the famous Moorish novel, Inventario also included:

• Ausencia y soledad de amor: This was a pastoral novel, which is a type of story about shepherds and life in the countryside. It was written in both prose (regular writing) and verse (poetry).
• Several poems: These included different types of songs (canciones), verses (coplas), and longer poems like Historia de Píramo and Contienda de Áyax.

See also

In Spanish: Antonio de Villegas para niños