Política, religión y mecenazgo en la Castilla de mediados del siglo XVAlonso de Cartagena

Abstract

Alonso de Cartagena (1384—1456) is one of the most remarkable figures of the first humanism in Castilla. Son of the Jewish rabbi of Burgos and converted with his father, he followed the ecclesiastical career that would take him to the highest positions of the religious hierarchy, until Bishop of Burgos in 1435, in a very short time. He was one of the diplomats of Juan II, interceding in the most diverse conflicts on behalf of the King, as when he went to the Council of Basel as an intermediary in the dispute against England; meanwhile, he should have visited some of the great works of the late Gothic of Europe. His cultural activity was very great, especially literary, since he dedicated part of his life to translation of religious and profane books, to the Romance languages and to the composition of some moral, theological and historical treaties, among which stand out Historia de los Reyes hispanos and Doctrinal de Caballeros. His patronage focused on the former convent of San pablo and the Cathedral of Burgos, whose construction had been stopped for years. It has always been assumed that, after his trip to Central Europe, he brought with him ideas and architects that carried out ending of the spires of the towers and the first dome of the lantern tower, also directed by Juan de Colonia. In addition to the general works in the cathedral, Alonso de Cartagena also built his own chapel, one of the first great funerary chapels in Burgos, as well as his sepulchre. These great works of improvement in the Cathedral that began in his bishopric, were continued by his successors throghout the 15rh and 16th century.