Liber Genealogiae Regum Hispaniae

Liber Genealogiae Regum Hispaniae

Alfonso de Cartagena composed a history of Spain focusing on Castile in the Gothic era with the title Anacephaleosis ca. 1456. Alfonso de Cartagena (1384–1456) was a humanist, diplomat, historian, author, and was also active as a lawyer and natural philosopher. A converted Jew, he was employed in the Cathedral of Cartagena, was Deacon of Santiago and Segovia beginning in 1415, and Canon of Burgos beginning in 1421. Additionally, he was vested with the prestigious office of an apostolic nuncio. At the behest of King John II of Castile and León (1405–1454), Cartagena was involved as an ambassador and diplomat in political issues, the conflict between Castile, Aragon, and Grenada among them. At the same time, he composed translations of works by Cicero and Seneca. Alfonso de Cartagena was highly revered, even by popes for his diverse activities and his scholarship. Not least of all, he founded a school in Burgos where the most significant scholars of the era of the Catholic Monarchs studied.

The History of the Spanish Kingdom

For his Anacephaleosis, Cartagena drew upon the works of Flavius Josephus, Florus, and Jiménez de Rada. His history of Spain was published by Fernán Pérez de Guzmán and Juan de Villafuerte in 1463 under the title Geneologia de los Reyes de Espana. This consisted of a forward and 94 chapters and covered the origins of the Spanish kings from Alaric, King of the Visigoths, up to Henry IV (1425–1474), King of Castile and León, and his father John II. Family trees show the various connections, e.g. to the royal houses of Navarra, Aragon, and Portugal.

The Family History of an Empress

The manuscript made for Empress Isabella of Portugal, Queen of Castile and Aragon and wife of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V enchants with its richly detailed pictorial décor. In this way the chronicle of the Castilian kings is made manageable and easily understood. The text, organized into two columns, is illustrated in an exceedingly rich manner, with miniatures on nearly every page. Genealogies in the form of family trees visualize the history of the Spanish kingdom for the reader with portraits of all persons involved. Lavish bordures, portrait medallions, countless coats of arms, emblems, and golden initials adorn the manuscript in the most superb Renaissance style. The escutcheon of the original owner, Queen Isabella of Portugal, is prominently displayed above a two-headed eagle with the imperial throne. Numerous historical personalities are presented in gorgeous portraits – sometimes the entire figure, sometimes only a head. This is simultaneously an informative history book and a magnificent 16th century work of art!