Juan Latino
Encyclopedia
Juan Latino, born Juan de Sessa, (Baena
, 1518 - Granada
, 1596), was a Spanish
black professor at Granada during the sixteenth century.
, Italy
, 1526, he went to Granada
where he was educated together with his master's son and the grandson of another famous Gonzalo, Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
, El Gran Capitán. Juan Latino emphasized especially in classical languages and music
.
He attended together with Gonzalo, Gonzalo II Fernández de Córdoba (1520-1578)
, the son of Luis Fernández de Cordoba, named as his illustrious ancestor, to the subject of the famous grammarian Pedro de Mota, showing great abilities, the Duke himself commented on his dexterity: rara avis in terra corbo simillima nigro.
The University of Granada had been opened in 1526, five months after the coming of the emperor to the city, and after the papal bull, it began to confer degrees in 1533.
In 1545, in the presence of the Archbishop, the listener of the Real Chancery, Conde de Tendilla, and many other gentlemen, Juan Latino received the degree of Bachiller. He was 28 years old in that time.
He was set free and received in Granada the Chair of grammar and latin language of the Cathedral, post that he held for twenty years.
His literary and fiercest personal enemy, León Roque de Santiago, maintained that Juan Latino was born in Baena
, son of a slave woman and the Duke of Sessa, Luis Fernández de Córdoba, father of his friend and protector Gonzalo II Fernández de Córdoba (1520-1578)
, third of the same title.
One the houses he frequented to teach his varied grammatical teachings was property of the Duke's administrator, Licenciado Carleval, whose daughter, famous in the city because of her extraordinary beauty and fiancée by her father to Don Fernando de Valor, future Abén Humeya
, received classes.
The playwright Diego Ximénez de Enciso (1585-1633) composed about him and his love-affairs with his student and future white wife, the young Ana Carleval, the comedy Juan Latino.
The strange interracial relation was fruitful and the marriage took place between 1547 and 1548.
Nonetheless, without the support of the Duke, it would have been unlikely to carry out so pintoresque union in the Spain of that age. Even with such support, it is not frequent in many societies the union of a slave with a woman of the high society, which constitutes a note of glory in that Spanish society given the permissiveness.
His poem Austrias Carmen, was dedicated by to John of Austria after his victory over the Morisco insurrection in Granada, known as the War of the Alpujarras (1568–1572).
He has been hailed as one of the first writers to have used signifyin(g)
.
Baena
Baena is a town of Andalucia, southern Spain, in the province of Córdoba; 32 miles by road south east of the city of Córdoba. Population of the town is 20000 people. Baena is picturesquely situated near the river Marbella, on the slope of a hill crowned with a castle, which formerly belonged to the...
, 1518 - Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
, 1596), was a Spanish
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...
black professor at Granada during the sixteenth century.
Life
Son of black slaves of the second Duke consort of Sessa since 1520, Luis Fernández de Córdoba, deceased RomeRome
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...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, 1526, he went to Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...
where he was educated together with his master's son and the grandson of another famous Gonzalo, Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba known as The Great Captain, Duke of Terranova and Santangelo, Andria, Montalto and Sessa, also known as Gonzalo de Córdoba, Italian: Gonsalvo or Consalvo Ernandes di Cordova was a Spanish general fighting in the times of the Conquest of Granada and the Italian Wars...
, El Gran Capitán. Juan Latino emphasized especially in classical languages and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
.
He attended together with Gonzalo, Gonzalo II Fernández de Córdoba (1520-1578)
Gonzalo II Fernández de Córdoba (1520-1578)
Gonzalo II Fernández de Córdoba , 3rd duke of Sessa, was the grandson of famous Viceroy of Naples, Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, 1st duke of Sessa...
, the son of Luis Fernández de Cordoba, named as his illustrious ancestor, to the subject of the famous grammarian Pedro de Mota, showing great abilities, the Duke himself commented on his dexterity: rara avis in terra corbo simillima nigro.
The University of Granada had been opened in 1526, five months after the coming of the emperor to the city, and after the papal bull, it began to confer degrees in 1533.
In 1545, in the presence of the Archbishop, the listener of the Real Chancery, Conde de Tendilla, and many other gentlemen, Juan Latino received the degree of Bachiller. He was 28 years old in that time.
He was set free and received in Granada the Chair of grammar and latin language of the Cathedral, post that he held for twenty years.
His literary and fiercest personal enemy, León Roque de Santiago, maintained that Juan Latino was born in Baena
Baena
Baena is a town of Andalucia, southern Spain, in the province of Córdoba; 32 miles by road south east of the city of Córdoba. Population of the town is 20000 people. Baena is picturesquely situated near the river Marbella, on the slope of a hill crowned with a castle, which formerly belonged to the...
, son of a slave woman and the Duke of Sessa, Luis Fernández de Córdoba, father of his friend and protector Gonzalo II Fernández de Córdoba (1520-1578)
Gonzalo II Fernández de Córdoba (1520-1578)
Gonzalo II Fernández de Córdoba , 3rd duke of Sessa, was the grandson of famous Viceroy of Naples, Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, 1st duke of Sessa...
, third of the same title.
One the houses he frequented to teach his varied grammatical teachings was property of the Duke's administrator, Licenciado Carleval, whose daughter, famous in the city because of her extraordinary beauty and fiancée by her father to Don Fernando de Valor, future Abén Humeya
Aben Humeya
Aben Humeya was a Spanish leader who commanded the Morisco Revolt against Philip II of Spain in the Alpujarras region, near Granada.-Early life:...
, received classes.
The playwright Diego Ximénez de Enciso (1585-1633) composed about him and his love-affairs with his student and future white wife, the young Ana Carleval, the comedy Juan Latino.
The strange interracial relation was fruitful and the marriage took place between 1547 and 1548.
Nonetheless, without the support of the Duke, it would have been unlikely to carry out so pintoresque union in the Spain of that age. Even with such support, it is not frequent in many societies the union of a slave with a woman of the high society, which constitutes a note of glory in that Spanish society given the permissiveness.
Works
Latino published three volumes of poems between 1573 and 1585.His poem Austrias Carmen, was dedicated by to John of Austria after his victory over the Morisco insurrection in Granada, known as the War of the Alpujarras (1568–1572).
He has been hailed as one of the first writers to have used signifyin(g)
The Signifying Monkey
The Signifying Monkey: A Theory of African-American Literary Criticism is a work of literary criticism and theory by American scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr. first published in 1988...
.