Diego de Saavedra Fajardo
Encyclopedia
Diego de Saavedra Fajardo (6 May 1584 – 1648) was a Spanish
diplomat
and man of letters
.
After receiving a religious education at Salamanca
, he took religious orders, and in 1606 was appointed secretary to Cardinal Gaspar de Borja y Velasco
, the Spanish ambassador at Rome
.
Although he did not get to receive greater orders, he was named canon of Santiago
in 1617, which was worth the importunations to him of town hall, since he never attended its position; but he did on the contrary to conclaves who chose the Popes Pope Gregory XV
(1621) and Urban VIII (1623). From this date its diplomatic activity did not know rest, because the confidence he had gained of Philip IV of Spain
and he was in charge to manage a very important part of his political and diplomatic relations during twenty-five years in Italy, Germany and Switzerland, during the decline of the Spanish political power in Europe.
He was ambassador in Rome (1631) and marched to Bavaria
in 1633, territory then at the center of the bloodiest fights of Thirty Years War. Here, with the position of resident ambassador in the court of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
, leader of the Holy League, he pursued the union of the pro-Habsburg forces with the German Emperor Ferdinand II
and with Catholic powers
. In this year, the king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
died in the battle of Lützen
; this settled down a tense calm only interrupted by the murder of the marshal Wallenstein, head of the armies of Ferdinand II, when being discovered his treason in favor of Sweden
.
In 1634, the battle of Nördlingen
took place between the Swedish armies and those of the German empire supported by Spanish troops, the latter being victorious. In 1636, Emperor Ferdinand II died, and Diet
of Regensburg
took place for the election of his successor, where Saavedra went like representative of Spain. His diplomatic activity intensified when Richelieu declared war to Spain in 1635, and with the successive defeats of the Spanish troops by the French armies.
In 1640 he published the anti-Machiavellian emblem
book Empresas Políticas. Idea de un príncipe político cristiano ("Political Maxims. Idea of a Christian Political Prince"), a hundred short essays about the education of a prince. These sententious works were written primarily for the son of King Philip IV. It passed through a number of editions and was translated in several languages. An unfinished historical work, entitled Corona gótica, castellana, y austriaca políticamente ilustrada, appeared in 1646. Another work ascribed to Saavedra, the República literaria, was published posthumously in 1670; it is a satirical discussion on some of the leading characters in the ancient and modern world of letters.
After the signing of the Treaty of Münster
, Saavedra retired into the Madrid
convent of the Agustinos Recoletos. Here he died in 1648. He is buried at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary in Murcia.
, put by Andrea Alciato
with his Emblemata
translated in 1549 and that has a mainly moral and philosophical character. His work, however, was mainly inspired by the Emblemata política (1618), by Jakob Bruck Angermunt, being the intention of the author to compose a guide for the suitable political formation of a Christian prince. As a historian wrote Corona gótica, castellana y austríaca (1648), that tried to be a biographical repertoire of the Visigothic kings of Spain.
The style of Saavedra Fajardo is baroque
and, sometimes ballast by a barren erudition and a meticulous style.
is named after him. In Algezares, its birthplace town, there is a school with his name. In addition, the main street of the town is also named after him.
Madrid has a street with his name in the 28011 postal code.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
diplomat
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
and man of letters
Intellectual
An intellectual is a person who uses intelligence and critical or analytical reasoning in either a professional or a personal capacity.- Terminology and endeavours :"Intellectual" can denote four types of persons:...
.
Biography
He was born in Algezares, in what is now the province of Murcia.After receiving a religious education at Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
, he took religious orders, and in 1606 was appointed secretary to Cardinal Gaspar de Borja y Velasco
Gaspar de Borja y Velasco
Gaspar de Borja y Velasco was a Spanish cardinal, ecclesiastic and politician. He belonged to the house of Borgia and served as Primate of Spain, Archbishop of Seville, Archbishop of Toledo and viceroy of Naples.-Family:Borja was born at Villalpando...
, the Spanish ambassador at Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
.
Although he did not get to receive greater orders, he was named canon of Santiago
Santiago de Compostela
Santiago de Compostela is the capital of the autonomous community of Galicia, Spain.The city's Cathedral is the destination today, as it has been throughout history, of the important 9th century medieval pilgrimage route, the Way of St. James...
in 1617, which was worth the importunations to him of town hall, since he never attended its position; but he did on the contrary to conclaves who chose the Popes Pope Gregory XV
Pope Gregory XV
Pope Gregory XV , born Alessandro Ludovisi, was pope from 1621, succeeding Paul V on 9 February 1621...
(1621) and Urban VIII (1623). From this date its diplomatic activity did not know rest, because the confidence he had gained of Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV of Spain
Philip IV was King of Spain between 1621 and 1665, sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands, and King of Portugal until 1640...
and he was in charge to manage a very important part of his political and diplomatic relations during twenty-five years in Italy, Germany and Switzerland, during the decline of the Spanish political power in Europe.
He was ambassador in Rome (1631) and marched to Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
in 1633, territory then at the center of the bloodiest fights of Thirty Years War. Here, with the position of resident ambassador in the court of Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
Maximilian I, Elector of Bavaria
Maximilian I, Duke/Elector of Bavaria , called "the Great", was a Wittelsbach ruler of Bavaria and a prince-elector of the Holy Roman Empire. His reign was marked by the Thirty Years' War ....
, leader of the Holy League, he pursued the union of the pro-Habsburg forces with the German Emperor Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
and with Catholic powers
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
. In this year, the king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
Gustav II Adolf has been widely known in English by his Latinized name Gustavus Adolphus Magnus and variously in historical writings also as Gustavus, or Gustavus the Great, or Gustav Adolph the Great,...
died in the battle of Lützen
Battle of Lützen (1632)
The Battle of Lützen was one of the most decisive battles of the Thirty Years' War. It was a Protestant victory, but cost the life of one of the most important leaders of the Protestant alliance, Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden, which caused the Protestant campaign to lose direction.- Prelude to the...
; this settled down a tense calm only interrupted by the murder of the marshal Wallenstein, head of the armies of Ferdinand II, when being discovered his treason in favor of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
In 1634, the battle of Nördlingen
Battle of Nördlingen (1634)
The Battle of Nördlingen was fought on 27 August or 6 September , 1634 during the Thirty Years' War. The Roman Catholic Imperial army, bolstered by 18,000 Spanish and Italian soldiers, won a crushing victory over the combined Protestant armies of Sweden and their German-Protestant allies .After...
took place between the Swedish armies and those of the German empire supported by Spanish troops, the latter being victorious. In 1636, Emperor Ferdinand II died, and Diet
Diet (assembly)
In politics, a diet is a formal deliberative assembly. The term is mainly used historically for the Imperial Diet, the general assembly of the Imperial Estates of the Holy Roman Empire, and for the legislative bodies of certain countries.-Etymology:...
of Regensburg
Regensburg
Regensburg is a city in Bavaria, Germany, located at the confluence of the Danube and Regen rivers, at the northernmost bend in the Danube. To the east lies the Bavarian Forest. Regensburg is the capital of the Bavarian administrative region Upper Palatinate...
took place for the election of his successor, where Saavedra went like representative of Spain. His diplomatic activity intensified when Richelieu declared war to Spain in 1635, and with the successive defeats of the Spanish troops by the French armies.
In 1640 he published the anti-Machiavellian emblem
Emblem
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.-Distinction: emblem and symbol:...
book Empresas Políticas. Idea de un príncipe político cristiano ("Political Maxims. Idea of a Christian Political Prince"), a hundred short essays about the education of a prince. These sententious works were written primarily for the son of King Philip IV. It passed through a number of editions and was translated in several languages. An unfinished historical work, entitled Corona gótica, castellana, y austriaca políticamente ilustrada, appeared in 1646. Another work ascribed to Saavedra, the República literaria, was published posthumously in 1670; it is a satirical discussion on some of the leading characters in the ancient and modern world of letters.
After the signing of the Treaty of Münster
Treaty of Münster
Treaty of Münster may refer to:* Peace of Münster, a treaty between the Dutch Republic and Spain signed in January 1648 ending the Eighty Years' War...
, Saavedra retired into the Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
convent of the Agustinos Recoletos. Here he died in 1648. He is buried at the Cathedral Church of Saint Mary in Murcia.
Works
Saavedra's Idea de un príncipe político cristiano ("The Idea of a Christian political prince", 1640) was a very erudite work that uses the literary sort of emblemEmblem
An emblem is a pictorial image, abstract or representational, that epitomizes a concept — e.g., a moral truth, or an allegory — or that represents a person, such as a king or saint.-Distinction: emblem and symbol:...
, put by Andrea Alciato
Andrea Alciato
Andrea Alciato , commonly known as Alciati , was an Italian jurist and writer. He is regarded as the founder of the French school of legal humanists.-Biography:...
with his Emblemata
Emblemata
Usually known simply as the "Emblemata", the first emblem book appeared in Augsburg in 1531 under the title Viri Clarissimi D. Andreae Alciati Iurisconsultiss. Mediol. Ad D. Chonradum Peutingerum Augustanum, Iurisconsultum Emblematum Liber...
translated in 1549 and that has a mainly moral and philosophical character. His work, however, was mainly inspired by the Emblemata política (1618), by Jakob Bruck Angermunt, being the intention of the author to compose a guide for the suitable political formation of a Christian prince. As a historian wrote Corona gótica, castellana y austríaca (1648), that tried to be a biographical repertoire of the Visigothic kings of Spain.
The style of Saavedra Fajardo is baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
and, sometimes ballast by a barren erudition and a meticulous style.
Legacy
A Spanish high school in the Infant Don Juan Manuel neighborhood of MurciaMurcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
is named after him. In Algezares, its birthplace town, there is a school with his name. In addition, the main street of the town is also named after him.
Madrid has a street with his name in the 28011 postal code.