Cristóbal de Castillejo facts for kids

Cristóbal de Castillejo (born 1491 – died June 12, 1556) was an important Spanish poet. He lived at the same time as other famous poets like Garcilaso de la Vega and Juan Boscán. Castillejo strongly supported using traditional forms of Spanish poetry. He often spoke against new styles, such as the sonnet, which came from Italy.

Some of his writings were translations of older works. For example, he translated a poem by the Roman poet Catullus from the 1st century BC. He also wrote plays, but sadly, these plays have been lost over time.

Life of a Poet

Cristóbal de Castillejo began his journey at a young age. When he was just fifteen, he went to the court of Ferdinand the Catholic, who was the king. There, he worked as a page for Archduke Ferdinand of Habsburg. This Ferdinand was the king's grandson and the younger brother of Emperor Charles V. During this time, Castillejo also joined the Cistercian convent of San Martin de Valdeiglesias.

In 1525, he left the quiet life of the convent. He became the secretary for his former master, Ferdinand. In 1526, Ferdinand became the King of Hungary, and later the King of Bohemia. By 1531, he was also given the title of King of the Romans, acting as his brother's imperial representative. Castillejo traveled a lot across Europe with Ferdinand.

Later in his life, Castillejo faced some difficult times. He retired to a convent in Vienna, where he eventually passed away. He is buried in Wiener Neustadt.

See also

In Spanish: Cristóbal de Castillejo para niños