Narcís Vinyoles facts for kids

Narcís Vinyoles, also known as Narciso Viñoles (born between 1442 and 1447 – died 1517), was an important person from Valencia, Spain. He was a poet, a lawyer, and a politician. He held high positions in the government, serving twice as the top judge for civil cases, called the Justicia Civil. In 1495, King Ferdinand II even suggested him for the role of top judge for criminal cases, the Justicia Criminal. Narcís Vinyoles was married to Brianda de Santángel, who was the niece of a famous banker named Luis de Santángel. This banker helped pay for Christopher Columbus's famous voyage across the ocean.

A Talented Linguist

Vinyoles was very good at languages. He could speak Catalan, Castilian Spanish, Latin, and Italian. He even wrote poems in Italian! Even though he grew up speaking Valencian/Catalan, he admired Castilian Spanish. He described it as "clean, elegant, and graceful." He even called his own native language "a barbaric tongue." Because of this, some people have criticized him for not supporting his own language and region.

The Chess of Love

Vinyoles is famous for being one of the writers of a special poem called Scachs d'amor, which means Chess of Love. This poem describes a game of chess. In the poem, Vinyoles played as Venus and used the black (or green) chess pieces. He played against Francesc de Castellví, who played as Mars and used the red (or white) pieces. Another person, Bernat Fenollar, played as Mercury. He watched the game and explained the rules.

This poem is very important because it shows the first recorded chess game played with the modern rules of chess. This includes how the queen and bishop pieces move today. Before this poem, these pieces moved differently.

See also

In Spanish: Narciso de Vinyoles para niños