Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo
Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo was a Spanish author of the late 15th century, best known for his influential work, *Amadís de Gaula*, which is recognized as the first Spanish-language prose chivalric romance. Born around 1450 in Medina del Campo, he came from a noble background, suggesting he had the leisure to engage deeply in literature and writing. Montalvo was knighted for his contributions during the Granadan War and was involved in local governance, indicating his social standing and access to royal court culture.
*Amadís de Gaula*, composed of five volumes totaling approximately 615,000 words, not only reflects the themes of knightly chivalry but also provides insights into the social and political mores of late 15th century Spain. The work, published posthumously in 1508, underwent various misattributions over the years, but Montalvo's unique adaptations and character developments marked a significant evolution in narrative form from folkloric tales to the novel. The story garnered popularity across Europe, influencing a range of prominent literary figures and maintaining its relevance in literary studies, particularly regarding the transition to modern novelistic forms.
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Subject Terms
Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo
Fiction Writer
- Born: c. 1450
- Birthplace: Medina del Campo, Spain
- Died: 1505
Biography
Fifteenth century Spanish author Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo is credited with composing the five volumes of Amadís de Gaula, the first Spanish-language prose chivalric romance. Although there was significant critical debate regarding authoriship of Amadis, including postulated Portuguese and French origins, the 1508 edition names Garci Rodríguez de Montalvo as the author. Typos in later editions misprinted Rodríguez as both Gutiérrez and Ordóñez, errors which were perpetuated into twentieth century editions.
Very little is known about Montalvo’s life. Scholars believe he was born around 1450 in Medina del Campo, in the oligarchical Pollino lineage. Some scholars believe the family was converso, meaning converts from Judaism to Christianity, but certainly by the mid-fifteenth century, Montalvo was Catholic. He was elected alderman by his family in the 1490’s, a prestigious position suggesting wealth and power. A nobleman would have had substantial leisure time available to travel, hunt, and read, as well as write a work of such extensive length as the Amadis—around 615,000 words.
Noble authorship is also consistent with the work’s courtly themes. Medina del Campo was the favored residence of the monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella, who knighted Montalvo for his participation in the Granadan war from 1482 to 1492. Montalvo would have had ready access to court culture. The numerous descriptions and discussions of court life and monarchical grandeur in the Amadis provide invaluable insight into late fifteenth century Spanish government mores. Based on information from a lawsuit brought against his estate, scholars establish his death around 1505, three years before the publication of the first edition of the Amadis.
In the prologue to that edition, Montalvo discusses the origins of his story in various medieval treatments of the legend. Although the name and vague outline of the story appear in myriad sources, probably the most direct extant influence was the Spanish translation of Giles of Rome’s 1280 chivalric text, De regimine principum, which lists Amadis alongside Tristan, Zifar, Mars and Achilles as model examples of knightly chivalry. A 1430 Spanish songbook provides six mentions of Amadis, and the name appears as one given to dogs, ostensibly a sign of popularity.
Montalvo’s work does not mention the death of Amadis, a significant difference from some sources, including that of fourteenth century poet Pero Ferruz and a fragmentary source from around 1420, portions of which were borrowed, fully intact, by Montalvo. Montalvo also made significant changes to characterization and other elements of the plot and tone, so that his text fully reflects late fifteenth century Spanish cultural fashions. Many of these stylistic elements vary throughout the volumes, suggesting that Montalvo likely spent two decades on the work, completing it around the late 1490’s.
Amadis de Gaula was popular in Europe until the early eighteenth century, regaining popularity later in the century when Johann Christian Bach based an opera on it. A mid-nineteenth century edition fully reestablished the work’s popularity. Literary scholars regard it as significant in the passage from folkloric narrative to the novel proper, and it has since inspired novelists as diverse as Stedhal, Dickens, Balzac, Twain, Steinbeck and Marquez.