Diego de Valera facts for kids
Mosén Diego de Valera (born in 1412, died in 1488) was an important person from Spain. He was a nobleman, which means he came from a powerful family. He was also a writer and a historian, someone who studies and writes about the past.
Diego de Valera had many exciting adventures, like a knight from old stories. He traveled far, even to a place called Bohemia. There, he took part in the Hussite Wars, which were a series of conflicts in the 1400s.
Advice to Kings
Diego de Valera wrote letters to Spanish kings, including John II of Castile and Henry IV of Castile. He warned them to learn from rulers who had lost their power because they governed poorly. He reminded King Henry IV about kings from the Old Testament who were chosen to rule but were later removed. He also mentioned thirteen Gothic kings who were overthrown by their own followers because they were cruel leaders.
Valera suggested that kings who were not good leaders often lost their thrones. Even with his warnings, King Henry IV was removed from power in 1465.
His Important Writings
Diego de Valera wrote a book called Espejo de verdadera nobleza, which means "Mirror of True Nobility." In this book, he shared new ideas about what it meant to be noble. During his time, many people thought nobility came only from being born into a rich or powerful family (called "blood" nobility).
However, Valera argued that "true nobility" came from being a good person and having a good education. This idea showed the influence of a new way of thinking called Renaissance humanism, which was becoming popular in Spain during the 1400s.
He also wrote one of the very first books about fencing, called Treatise on Arms. Fencing is a sport where people fight with swords. Another important book he wrote was a short history of Spain, called Crónica de España abreviada (1481). This history book used information from an older book, the Chronicle of 1344. Valera's history book was later used as a main source for another popular story, the Crónica popular del Cid (1498).
See also
In Spanish: Diego de Valera para niños
