Lope de Barrientos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lope de Barrientos |
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| Bishop Barrientos | |
Funeral portrait of Lope de Barrientos; from Museum of the Fairs in Medina del Campo
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 1382 Medina del Campo, León, Castile |
| Died | 1469 (aged 86–87) Cuenca, Toledo, Castile |
| Nationality | Castilian |
| Occupation | Clergyman and statesman |
Lope de Barrientos (1382–1469), also known as Bishop Barrientos, was an important church leader and politician in the Crown of Castile during the 1400s. He rose from a simple background to become a very influential figure, even though his story isn't always widely known in Spanish history.
He started his journey in Medina del Campo, where he studied grammar. He was able to get ahead because Castilian kings sometimes chose people from lower social classes to work for them, especially for Ferdinand I of Aragon. This was usually a privilege for those born into noble families.
Barrientos used every chance he got to climb the social ladder in a very complicated political time. He became a Dominican friar (a type of monk). He also taught theology at the University of Salamanca, possibly being the first professor of theology there. He served as a bishop in three different cities: Segovia, Ávila, and most importantly, Cuenca. He was also the royal confessor (a spiritual advisor) to John II of Castile, an Inquisitor (someone who investigated religious crimes), an advisor to Henry IV of Castile, and even the Chancellor of Castile (a high-ranking government official). Besides all this, he wrote many books and papers about religious issues in 15th-century Spain.
Contents
Lope de Barrientos's Life Story
Lope de Barrientos was born in Medina del Campo in 1382. His father, Pedro Gutierre de Barrientos, worked for Ferdinand I of Aragon and died fighting for the king. It's thought that his family might have been Marranos. These were Jewish people who had become Catholic Christians, sometimes by choice, sometimes because they were forced to.
Lope grew up close to the royal court. He was treated almost like one of the Princes of Aragon (the children of Fernando I). This explains why he was involved in the struggles within Castile against Álvaro de Luna. Luna was a powerful figure, the Constable of Castile, and a favorite of King John II.
Barrientos first studied to become a Dominican friar in Medina. Then, in 1406, he went to the Convent of San Esteban in Salamanca. After finishing his studies, he became a teacher at the University of Salamanca. There, he taught theology (the study of religious faith) and philosophy (the study of knowledge and existence). At the university, he met and became friends with Juan de Torquemada, another important person. They had a lot in common: both were likely of Jewish background, belonged to the Dominican Order, and came from the same region. They probably shared ideas about the religious challenges in Castile.
Barrientos was such an excellent teacher that in 1416, he was offered a special teaching position as a professor of theology. This was a big deal because it's believed to be the first time the University of Salamanca had such a professorship. He stayed there until 1433. Then, King John II chose him to be his royal confessor. The king also trusted Barrientos with educating his sons, Prince Henry and later Prince Alfonso.
Barrientos was also appointed an Inquisitor during this time. In 1438, he became the Bishop of Segovia. He held a church meeting in 1440 where he set rules for how his clergymen should be trained. He was loyal to King John II. In 1442, he helped reform the diocese of Segovia to support the king against the rebellious Prince Henry. He also helped arrange a peace agreement in the Tordesillas area to unite against the Kingdoms of Navarre and Aragon.
In 1444, he became the Bishop of Cuenca. The next year, he helped the region's soldiers in the First Battle of Olmedo. In 1449, he again used the diocese's resources to defend against troops who opposed the king. He was even offered the top church position in Santiago de Compostela, but he turned it down.
Even with his important church duties, Bishop Barrientos always served the state. He advised King John II and later Henry IV. He might have also taught Henry IV's half-sister, Isabella I of Castile, who later became queen. King John II also named Barrientos as a tutor for his youngest son, Prince Alphonsus, in his will. Because he was so trusted, Barrientos likely had a big impact on their political decisions. The religious policies of these three rulers were very similar to Barrientos's own views. However, Barrientos was not happy with both kings because he thought they were weak. It's possible he even plotted against Henry IV before he became king, due to his close ties with the Princes of Aragón.
His work as a statesman was quiet but very important. He worked closely with John II, first supporting the Princes of Aragón, but later becoming a loyal follower of John II once he became king. In the end, he became a very powerful and wealthy man, even though the Dominican Order usually requires a vow of poverty.
Álvaro de Luna was a favorite advisor to John II and held a lot of power. But the king's second wife, Isabella of Portugal, didn't like Luna's huge influence. She pushed her husband to get rid of him. In 1453, the king gave in. Álvaro de Luna was arrested, tried, and executed. Barrientos then took Luna's place in the government of Castile until John II died a year later. When Henry IV became king, Barrientos stepped back from state affairs because he disagreed with the new monarch.
Despite his busy political life, Barrientos still found time to establish several religious houses. These included the Hospital de San Sebastián de Cuenca and Nuestra Señora de la Piedad de Medina del Campo. He also wrote many books, showing his belief in scholasticism (a way of thinking that uses logic to understand religious ideas). Barrientos died in Cuenca on May 30, 1469, and was buried in the second convent he founded.
His Role as an Inquisitor
In the late 1400s, many people in Spain disliked Jews. For example, a Franciscan friar named Alphonso de Spina wrote that "greedy wolves" (meaning Jews) had entered the Christian flock.
However, some influential Spaniards, including Lope de Barrientos and Juan de Torquemada (the uncle of the famous inquisitor), spoke out against these negative attitudes, especially towards Jews who had converted to Christianity. Some of these defenders were converts themselves. A writer named Benzion Netanyahu said that when converted Spaniards were persecuted, they found strong supporters like Lope de Barrientos.
Barrientos wrote several papers defending Jews. In one, he said that even if some individuals deserved blame, "it would be unjust and cruel to debase and defame all people of Jewish heritage." Because he was an inquisitor, he had influence and was able to contact Pope Nicholas V about this issue. In 1449, he got a positive response. According to Barrientos, the Pontiff (the Pope) "ordered him not to discriminate between new converts to the faith and old Christians in the reception and tenancy of honors, dignities and offices, both ecclesiastical (church-related) and secular (non-church related)."
Barrientos even tried to show that he was descended from converted Jews. His goal was to prove he was an "old Christian" to strengthen his argument: he wanted to defend converted Jews but criticize those who had not converted.
Despite defending converted Jews, Barrientos and the Dominican Order generally supported banning Judaism in Castile. Their view was that Jewish people in Spain had to convert or leave. They held this belief until Tomás de Torquemada, the Grand Inquisitor, convinced Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon to take action. In 1492, the Alhambra Decree was issued, which ordered all Jews to leave Spain and its territories by July 31, 1492.
Barrientos also campaigned with the king against Enrique de Villena. He accused Villena of witchcraft and necromancy (talking to the dead). Villena was a scholar who wrote on many topics, translated books (like Virgil's Aeneid), and was a surgeon. He might have collected books in Hebrew and Arabic. These interests made him suspected of heresy (beliefs against official church teachings). King John II, like many people at the time, didn't trust intellectuals. Because of Barrientos's accusations, the king had Enrique de Villena sent to prison. These events are recorded in Barrientos's own writings, like his Tratado de caso e fortuna (Treatise on Prophesies), which can still be found in Salamanca.
After Villena died in jail in 1434, King John II asked Barrientos to examine Villena's library. Barrientos ordered most of the manuscripts burned, but he did save a few.
The poet Juan de Mena (1411–1456), who wrote about King John II's life, criticized Barrientos for these actions in his poem Laberinto de fortuna ("Labyrinth of Fortune"). Some people accused Barrientos of being a "savage" and stealing the most valuable books to plagiarize them. Others, however, said that since John II wanted to burn the entire collection, Barrientos actually saved some books. Barrientos himself explained his actions to the king in his Tractado de la Divinança:
Your Majesty, after the death of Don Enrique de Villena, as a Christian king, you sent me, your devoted follower, to burn his books, which I executed in the presence of your servants. These actions, and other ones, are a testament to your Majesty's devotion to Christianity. While this is praiseworthy, on the other hand, it is useful to entrust some books to reliable people who would use them solely with the goal of educating themselves to better defend the Christian religion and faith and to bedevil idolaters and practitioners of necromancy.
Political Struggles and Alliances
It's hard to know for sure if Bishop Barrientos supported Constable Álvaro de Luna. Historians say that alliances changed all the time between 1435 and 1440. It's difficult to keep track of who supported whom at any given moment.
However, because Barrientos was so close to the Princes of Aragón, it's likely that he first supported the group opposing Luna. But he was a very skilled politician. He knew how to change sides when the political situation favored John II, which helped him avoid trouble.
When John II of Aragón (one of the Princes of Aragón) broke a truce in 1430 and invaded Castile, King John II of Castile and his loyal followers, including Bishop Barrientos, had to hide in Medina del Campo. Medina had a large moat but few military defenses, so it wasn't easy to protect. Bishop Barrientos offered to help mediate with the invading forces. It seemed he got good terms for both sides. However, it appears he might have betrayed his king. While John II thought he was safe, troops from the Kingdom of Navarre suddenly attacked the villa where he was staying and took him prisoner. Although he was soon released, his capture made him look foolish and hurt the king's reputation. This event suggests that Barrientos might have helped cause Álvaro de Luna's exile in 1439, clearing the way for the Princes of Aragón to win.
Five years later, things changed dramatically. Although John II of Aragon had continued to control the region, his wife, Blanca de Navarra, died. This forced him to leave his campaign in Castile and rush home because his own crown was in danger from his stepson, Charles of Viana. The power of the Princes of Aragón weakened, and Barrientos had to quickly adapt to the new political situation.
Barrientos's loyalty dilemma was solved when Álvaro de Luna returned. Luna had the support of the Diocese of Toledo, which had huge resources. With their financial help and political influence, Luna was able to gather royalist supporters to fight for the king. As the two sides prepared for war (which eventually happened in Olmedo), Barrientos, now clear on his path, traveled to Madrigal de las Altas Torres. There, he tried to convince Prince Henry, the heir, not to fight against his own father.
In 1445, the Battle of Olmedo took place. The Princes of Aragón suffered a huge defeat. The poet Juan de Mena described Bishop Barrientos's warlike spirit before the battle in his poem Coplas de la Panadera ("Songs of the Baker").
After the battle, Álvaro de Luna immediately contacted Charles of Viana to help him in the civil war brewing in Navarre. John II of Aragon eventually defeated his stepson. In return for de Luna's help, John II of Aragon invaded Castilian territory again in 1449. This time, he attacked Cuenca with the help of the city's chief guard, Diego de Mendoza, who was a traitor. Barrientos was the Bishop of Cuenca at this time and was loyal to John II of Castile. So, he personally organized the city's defense. With the help of the local people, they held off the enemy long enough for Constable de Luna to arrive with more soldiers. The invaders were eventually pushed back.
The need for surrounding cities to help free Cuenca caused some disagreements. For example, some citizens of Toledo supported John II of Aragon. The people generally disliked Álvaro de Luna's request for more tax money to support the effort to free Cuenca. In a fit of anger, led by the city's chief guard, Pedro Sarmiento, who had wanted to expel Toledo's converted Jews for years, several high-ranking tax collectors of Jewish background were killed. After the Navarrese were driven out of Cuenca, the hopes of Toledo's unhappy citizens also disappeared. They had no choice but to hand the city over to the Constable. However, Pedro Sarmiento had other plans. He led a mob that looted and set fire to the city's Jewish quarter. Soon after, to make peace with Álvaro de Luna, Pedro Sarmiento was put on trial by the city for the murders and looting he caused.
Lope de Barrientos's political career continued to rise. When Álvaro de Luna died in 1453, Barrientos was appointed Chancellor of Castile. This made him the most important political figure in the region under the King.
However, just a year later, John II of Castile died, and Henry IV became king. Barrientos didn't get along well with the new king, whom he thought was ineffective and lacked strong character.
Frustrated with the king, and being in his 70s, Barrientos decided to retire from politics. He chose to focus on managing his diocese in Cuenca, which he did until his death in 1469.
His Writings
Most of Lope de Barrientos's writings are about theology and issues of his time. Today, they are mainly studied by scholars rather than being of general interest. A large part of his work focused on modernizing the Hispanic Church's ideas. He wrote several books about the Sacraments (religious ceremonies, all in Latin), a summary of moral theology, and a book of laws. He hoped these would help improve church law.
- Clavis Sapientiae: This is Barrientos's earliest known work. It's a theological philosophy encyclopedia of his time. No original copies exist, but a handwritten copy is kept at the national Library of Madrid.
- Opusculum super intellectu quorumdam verborum cuiusdam decreti contenti in volumine decretorum, ubi Gratianus, tractans de materia sacrilegii, XVII, q. III, ait: sacrilegii quoque reatum incurrit, qui iudaeis publica officia committit: This book discusses the social, religious, and racial problems that Barrientos believed were caused by Jews. For him, the best solution was to keep them separate, and if possible, to expel them. This expulsion did happen a few years later, partly because of his influence. Some handwritten copies are still in good condition, some owned by private collectors and others in various church archives.
- Index latinus ad sancti Antonini, Archiepiscopi Florentini, Summam Theologicam: A handwritten copy of this book is kept in the files of the Cathedral of Segovia.
He also wrote several less specialized books in Spanish, but they were meant for educated readers.
- Crónica del halconero (1454): This is a history book mainly about the life of John II of Castile, and also about the writer, Álvar García of Santamaría.
- Contra algunos zizañadores de la nación de los convertidos del pueblo de Israel (1445–1451) ("In opposition to those who agitate against converted Israeli people"): This book defends Spanish Jewish converts. The Library of the university of Salamanca has one copy, and another copy from the 17th century is in the National Library of Madrid.
- Tratado de caso e fortuna ("Treatise on Prophesies"): King John II of Castile asked Barrientos to write this while he was bishop of Cuenca. It's a very academic and discussion-based book, relying heavily on Aristotle's teachings with little new material. It was published in 1927 in Salamanca, but older copies exist in the National Library of Madrid (from 1549), the British Museum in London (from the 15th century), and the Library of the University of Salamanca.
- Tractado del dormir et despertar et del soñar et de las adevinanças et agüeros et profeçía ("Treatise on sleeping and waking; of dreaming and of divinations; of presages and prophecies"): This book has six parts. King John II asked for it after being happy with the Tratado de caso e fortuna. It also follows traditional ideas. It tries to tell the difference between dreams inspired by God (like those in the Bible about figures such as Joseph) and ordinary dreams. It also looks at the Christian idea of prophets and the signs and riddles found in the Bible. The British Museum in London has several well-preserved copies. There's a handwritten copy from 1559 in the National Library of Madrid and a few more from the 15th century in the University of Salamanca library.
- Tractado de la divinança ("Treatise on divination"): This is thought to be a simplified summary of a book from Enrique de Villena's library. However, it's still considered Barrientos's most important work. It's a teaching sermon with philosophical ideas that explores theories that deny the possibility of divination (predicting the future). It contrasts these with religious beliefs where many people have been directly affected by divine intervention or by evil spirits. To show that evil spirits can influence people's lives, he discusses the Genesis story of Eve and the serpent in the Garden of Eden. He concludes that "Magical Arts" came from Cain, who wrote a book called the "Libro Raziel" (Book of Raziel), from which all magicians get their powers. Although Barrientos generally thought these arts were "almost always frivolous and ineffectual," he still believed they needed to be stopped.
Foundations and Legacies
King John II of Castile gave Barrientos control over the lands of Pascualcobo and Serranos de la Torre in Ávila. Barrientos built several estates in different towns there. In 1451, he ordered the construction of the castle of Serranos de la Torre, now known as the Torrejón de los Serranos. Like other important church leaders, he dedicated himself to many good deeds, scholarships, and other charitable gifts. Some historians have suggested that Lope de Barrientos founded the University Hospital of Salamanca, but there isn't much proof for this idea. Among his charitable works, these are especially notable:
- The Hospital de la Piedad in Medina del Campo: This is where Barrientos was born and where he was buried in its funeral chapel. He left money to the hospital to help it continue its charitable work, aiding the poor and needy, and supporting several doctors and clergymen connected to his diocese. Also in Medina del Campo, Barrientos oversaw the building of three shrines and funded the expansion of the convento dominico de San Andrés (Dominican convent of San Andrés).
- Outside his hometown, he supported the building of the Hospital de San Sebastián in Cuenca, and a hermitage (a place for religious retreat) in Salamanca also dedicated to Saint Sebastian, located in the convent of Peña de Francia. Neither of these buildings exist today.
Images for kids
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View of the Cathedral of Segovia from the Alcázar.
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Folio 1r from a manuscript of Augustine's, City of God c. 1470
In Spanish: Lope de Barrientos para niños
