Cristóbal de Villalón facts for kids

Cristóbal de Villalón (born around 1500 – died around 1558) was a Spanish professor and a humanist. Humanists were scholars who focused on human values and learning from ancient Greek and Roman texts. He was likely from a town called Villalón de Campos.

Who Was Cristóbal de Villalón?

Early Life and Education

Cristóbal de Villalón began his studies at the University of Alcalá. He earned a bachelor's degree in arts there in 1525. Later, he continued his education at the University of Salamanca. Around 1529 or 1530, he received a special degree called a licentiate in logic. This meant he was an expert in the study of reasoning.

Teaching and Later Studies

From 1530 to 1545, Villalón worked as a logic professor at the University of Valladolid. He also taught Latin and rhetoric (the art of speaking and writing well) to the family of the Count of Lemos. He even won a legal case to get paid for his teaching. In 1545, he earned another degree, this time in theology, from Valladolid. He might have become a priest around this time. He later retired to a place called Santa Eulalia de Tábara, where he passed away.

His Important Books

Cristóbal de Villalón wrote several important books during his life. These works covered different topics, from plays to grammar and even how people should handle money.

Books from His Student Days

• Tragedia de Mirra: This play was written when he was a student. It was published in 1536 in Medina del Campo.
• Ingeniosa comparación entre lo antiguo y lo presente (Clever Comparison Between the Old and the Present): He also wrote this book as a student. It was published in Valladolid in 1539.
• El Scholástico (The Scholar): This was his most ambitious work. He wrote it while studying at Salamanca. It describes what an ideal scholar and university should be like. It was influenced by thinkers like Desiderius Erasmus. However, some church leaders did not approve of its ideas.

Books About Money and Faith

• Tratado de cambios y contrataciones y reprobación de usura (Treatise on Exchanges and Contracts and the Condemnation of Usury): This was his most popular book. It was published in Valladolid in 1541 and had more editions later. In this book, he criticized new business practices by merchants. He felt they were unfair, especially when prices were rising.
• Exhortación a la confesión (Exhortation to Confession): This short work was published as an extra part of his Tratado in 1546.

Later Writings

• Gramática castellana (Castilian Grammar): He wrote this book while living in Santa Eulalia. It was printed in Antwerp in 1558.

Two other funny, critical writings are also thought to be by him. They were written between 1552 and 1556, and their author is unknown:

• Diálogo de las transformaciones de Pitágoras (Dialogue of Pythagoras's Transformations): This was probably written in Santa Eulalia.
• El Crótalon: This work was also likely written in Santa Eulalia.

See also

In Spanish: Cristóbal de Villalón para niños