Bernardino de Laredo facts for kids

Bernardino de Laredo (born in Seville in 1482, died in San Francisco del Monte, Seville, in 1540) was a doctor and a Franciscan writer known for his spiritual books. He was an important figure in the history of Spanish mysticism.

Life

Bernardino came from a noble family. He grew up in Seville and, at a young age, became a page for a Portuguese nobleman. When he was thirteen, he left this service to focus on his studies. He studied medicine, possibly at the University of Seville, and started working as a doctor around 1507.

In 1510, a close friend of his joined the Order of St Francis as a lay brother. Bernardino decided to do the same. He remained a lay brother for the next thirty years. For most of this time, he lived in the friary (monastery) of San Francisco del Monte. This friary was near Villaverde del Río, a town not far from Seville.

Bernardino worked as an apothecary (someone who prepares and sells medicines) for the friary. Later, he became the apothecary for the entire Franciscan province. His reputation as a doctor grew, and he was even known to have treated King John III of Portugal and his wife, Queen Catherine. Queen Catherine was the sister of Emperor Charles V.

Bernardino de Laredo died at the friary of San Francisco del Monte in 1540. He was buried there. Later, in 1771, his remains were moved to a monastery in Cantillana. In 1955, they were moved again to the parish church in Cantillana.

Work

Bernardino de Laredo wrote three main works. Two of them were about medicine. He wrote them in Castilian (an old form of Spanish), but gave them Latin titles. These were Metaphora medicinae (published in Seville in 1522 and 1536) and Modus faciendi cum ordine medicandi (published in Seville in 1527, 1534, 1542, and 1627).

However, Bernardino is best remembered for his spiritual book called Ascent of Mount Sion (Subida del Monte Sión). He finished writing this book in 1529, but it was not published until 1535 in Seville. The book is divided into three parts, or "books."

A second edition of Ascent of Mount Sion came out in 1538. This edition kept the first two books mostly the same. However, it changed the third book a lot. This second version became very important and was reprinted many times. It was printed in Medina del Campo in 1542, in Valencia in 1590, and in Álcala de Henares in 1617. Each of these later editions also included a short work by Laredo called the Josephina as an extra part.

What the Books Are About

• Book One of Ascent of Mount Sion talks about knowing yourself and how to make your senses pure.
• Book Two explores the important events in the lives of Christ and Mary.
• Book Three is about a special kind of prayer called the contemplative life. This part is the only one that has been translated into English. The main idea of this third book is "quiet contemplation." This means trying not to think of anything to achieve a true connection with God.

Bernardino de Laredo also wrote twelve letters that still exist today. These letters are only available in their original Spanish versions from the 1500s.

Influences and Impact

In the first edition of Ascent of Mount Sion (1535), Bernardino de Laredo was mainly influenced by a writer named Richard of St Victor. Laredo had clearly read his works.

The second edition of 1538 shows that Laredo was influenced by even more writers. These included Dionysius, Herp (a Franciscan writer from the 1400s), and Hugh of Balma. Some experts believe that Hugh of Balma helped Laredo change his focus in prayer. He moved from thinking a lot (intellectual) to feeling a lot (affective). This change made him use fewer quotes from Richard of St Victor.

Teresa of Ávila, a very famous Spanish mystic, said that reading Ascent of Mount Sion helped her a lot. She was confused because she found it hard to meditate, but she was also having special spiritual experiences. Laredo also seems to have influenced other mystics like Juan de los Angeles and Tomas de Jesus. Some people even think he might have influenced John of the Cross, another very famous mystic.