Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (poet and diplomat) facts for kids
Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (born 1503 or 1504 – died 14 August 1575) was an important Spanish writer, poet, and diplomat. He was also a historian. He was born in Granada, Spain.
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Life of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza
Diego Hurtado de Mendoza came from a very important family. His father was Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones, the second Count of Tendilla. His older brother, Antonio de Mendoza, became the first Viceroy of New Spain (which is now Mexico) and later Peru. His sister, María Pacheco, was a leader in a big revolt in 1519.
After studying at the University of Salamanca, Diego decided not to become a priest. Instead, he worked for Emperor Charles V in Italy. He also went to universities in Bologna, Padua, and Rome to learn more.
Diplomat and Ambassador
In 1537, Diego was sent to England. His job was to help arrange marriages for important people, like Henry VIII and Christina of Denmark. Even though his mission didn't fully succeed, Emperor Charles V still trusted him.
In 1539, he became the Spanish ambassador in Venice, Italy. During his time there, he collected many books and built a large library. He bought books printed by the famous Aldine Press. He also hired people to copy old Greek manuscripts. He even got copies of rare books from the monastery of Mount Athos.
Later Years and Studies
Later, Diego worked as a military governor in Siena, Italy. He also represented Spain at an important church meeting called the Council of Trent. From 1547 to 1554, he was a special diplomat in Rome.
However, he didn't get along well with King Philip II. After an argument with another court member, he was sent away from the royal court in 1568.
He spent his last years in Granada. There, he focused on his studies. He learned Arabic (which he had started learning as a child). He also wrote poetry and worked on a history book about a Moorish rebellion that happened between 1568 and 1570. Diego Hurtado de Mendoza died in 1575. He left his amazing library to the king.
Writings of Diego Hurtado de Mendoza
One of his most famous works is Guerra de Granada. This book tells the story of the 1568 Morisco Revolt in the Alpujarras region of Spain. The book was not published until much later, in 1610, because Diego was very critical of people who were still alive. A full version of the book wasn't published until 1730.
Diego's writing style was very strong and clear. He was good at giving exact information and understanding important events.
Lazarillo de Tormes
Some people believe that Diego Hurtado de Mendoza wrote a famous Spanish novel called Lazarillo de Tormes. This book is a very early example of a "picaresque" novel, which tells the story of a clever, low-class hero. Recently found documents seem to support the idea that he might have written it. He was known for his clever and sometimes mischievous writing style, which can be seen in his poems.
See also
In Spanish: Diego Hurtado de Mendoza (poeta y diplomático) para niños
