Juan Ariza facts for kids
Juan de Ariza was a Spanish writer born in Motril, Spain, on December 11, 1816. He passed away in Havana, Cuba, on July 20, 1876. He wrote many novels, poems, and plays. His works are mostly in a style called Romanticism, which was popular at the time.
Life Story of Juan de Ariza
Juan Ariza came from a rich family. When he was only four years old, his father died. His uncle, Juan Fernando de Ariza, then took care of his education.
When Juan was 37, he worked at the Teatro Liceo de Motril, a theater. At age 40, he moved to Madrid, the capital of Spain. There, he wrote for different newspapers and magazines.
His first known work, A la heroica Granada, appeared in 1843. From 1845, he became famous for his historical novels. These were stories set in the past. He also wrote stories inspired by popular traditions.
One of his novels, Un viaje al infierno (A trip to hell), was a funny story that made fun of Madrid and its people at the time. His most important historical novel was El Dos de Mayo (The Second of May), published in 1846. While in Madrid, he became friends with other writers like Ventura de la Vega.
His most active period was from 1848 to 1854. During these years, he created more than twenty literary works. He also worked with other writers on plays, like the 1850 comedy Un clavo saca otro clavo (One nail pulls out another). In the same year, his tragedy Remismunda was first performed. This play mixed old-style writing with the newer Romantic style.
In 1853, four of his works were shown in Madrid, including La flor del valle (The flower of the valley), which had music by Luis Arche. His last plays were performed in 1854. That same year, he was given an important job as Director General of the Colonies.
In 1856, he moved to Cuba as a high-ranking government official. There, he served as a Secretary and Minister. He also became Vice President of the Spanish Casino de la Habana. In 1867, he was made Director of the Diario de la Marina, a newspaper in Havana. He held this job for nine years, until he died. During this time, he saw the start of the first wars in Cuba and strongly supported Spain's control over the island.
His Written Works
Juan de Ariza wrote many different kinds of stories and plays. Here are some of his most well-known works:
Novels
- Un viaje al infierno (A trip to hell), Madrid, 1848–1851
- Don Juan de Austria o Las guerras de Flandes, Madrid, 1847. This book was reprinted many times.
- Las tres Navidades (The three Christmas), Madrid, 1846
- Los dos Reyes: novela histórica (The two kings: a historical novel), Madrid, 1845
- El dos de mayo: novela histórica (The Second of May: a historical novel), Madrid, 1846
- Antes y después (Before and after), Havana, 1859
Poetry
- Las ruinas de Sancho el Diablo. Tradición popular, Madrid, 1848
Theatre
- Antonio de Leiva, Madrid, 1849
- Un clavo saca an otro clavo. Comedia., written with Tomás Rodríguez y Díaz Rubí and Ventura de la Vega, Madrid, 1850
- Mocedades de Pulgar, Madrid, 1847
- El primer Girón, Madrid, 1850
- Don Alonso de Ercilla, Madrid, 1848
- Dios, mi brazo y mi derecho, Madrid, 1853
- La Flor del valle: zarzuela; music by Luis Arche Madrid, 1853
- La fuerza de voluntad, Madrid, 1852
- Un loco hace ciento. Comedia, Madrid, 1853
- La mano de Dios. Drama histórico, Madrid, 1854
- El oro y el oropel. Comedia, Madrid, 1853
- Obras líricas y dramáticas, Mexico, 1851
- Pedro Navarro, Madrid, 1854
- El ramo de rosas, Madrid, 1851
- Remismunda. Tragedia, Madrid, 1854
- Comedias Introduction and notes by Francisco Ayudarte Granados. Motril, 1996
See also
In Spanish: Juan Ariza para niños
