Description
THE METAMORPHOSIS OF AN INQUISITOR
Book Summary
This monograph offers an update on the figure and work of Diego López de Cortegana, a Sevillian inquisitor who was also a prominent man of letters. The book addresses the complex relationship between his inquisitorial work and his humanist facet, exploring his adaptation to the intellectual patterns of the Renaissance, his ties to Erasmianism, and his philological work. Through the study of his translations of authors such as Apuleius, Erasmus, and Piccolomini, his influence on Golden Age prose is revealed, connecting with key works such as The Lazarillo or Don Quixote.
What is it about?
The book analyzes the figure of Diego López de Cortegana, an inquisitor who lived in 16th-century Seville, and examines how his work as a translator and humanist intertwined with his ecclesiastical position. It studies his relationship with printers and publishers of the time, as well as his adaptation to the intellectual currents of Renaissance Humanism. The work delves into his links to ideologies such as Erasmianism and his philological labor, centered on the translation and interpretation of classical and modern authors. Furthermore, it analyzes the impact of his translation of The Golden Ass by Apuleius on the development of Golden Age fiction prose, tracing its influence on works such as Lazarillo de Tormes, La lozana andaluza, and Don Quixote.
Main themes
- Biography of Diego López de Cortegana: his dual role as inquisitor and humanist.
- Socio-cultural context of 16th-century Seville.
- Relationship between the Inquisition and Renaissance Humanism.
- Erasmianism and its influence on the thought of the period.
- Translation and reception of classical (Apuleius, Piccolomini) and modern (Erasmus) authors in Spain.
- Influence of the translation of Apuleius on Golden Age prose, especially in The Lazarillo and Don Quixote.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at students and researchers of Spanish Golden Age literature, the cultural and religious history of modern Spain, as well as specialists in Humanism and translation. It is also of interest to readers passionate about the figure of the inquisitor as an intellectual and about the connections between religious orthodoxy and Renaissance critical thought.
What this book contributes
- An integrative view of the figure of López de Cortegana, surpassing previous studies that analyzed his inquisitorial work and his literary output separately.
- A detailed analysis of the Sevillian intellectual context of the 16th century and its relationship with European Humanism.
- New perspectives on the influence of humanist translations on the development of Spanish fiction prose.
- A rigorous study of the connections between the work of López de Cortegana and fundamental authors such as Erasmus, Apuleius, and the novelists of the Golden Age.
Technical specifications
- Author: Not specified
- Publisher: Servicio de Publicaciones de la Universidad de Huelva
- Language: Spanish
- Topic: Biography: literary, Biography: religious and spiritual, Classical texts, Literary studies: classical, early and medieval, Literary studies: c. 1500-c. 1800, History, Social and cultural history
- Collection: ARIAS MONTANO
- Binding: Paperback
- Publication date: January 2013
- Number of pages: 339
- Weight: 838 g
Editorial review
This is a specialized monograph that fills a gap in studies on Sevillian Humanism and the figure of the inquisitor as an intellectual. Its main value lies in the integration of the different facets of López de Cortegana, offering a complex and nuanced view of a key character for understanding the tensions between orthodoxy and critical thought in Renaissance Spain. It is an essential reference work for those researching Golden Age literature and the cultural history of the period.