Hernando del Pulgar
Hernando del Pulgar was a prominent fifteenth-century Spanish historian known for his writings during a pivotal time in Spain's history. Born to a family of conversos, or Jews who converted to Catholicism, Pulgar's early education took place at the royal court of Castile under King Juan II, where he was surrounded by influential figures and immersed in classical studies. Following the ascension of King Henry IV, Pulgar held various unofficial roles, including translator and mediator in disputes. His career flourished further under Queen Isabella I, for whom he served as a councilor and later as royal historiographer.
Pulgar's historical writings include letters documenting royal and political events, with only thirty-two surviving to this day. He is best known for his work "Crónica de los muy altos y esclarecidos reyes cathólicos don Fernando y doña Ysabel de gloriosa memoria," which chronicles the reign of the Catholic Monarchs and includes biographies of notable figures in Spanish history. While his accounts are noted for some inaccuracies and embellishments, they are recognized for their literary quality and contribution to the understanding of Spain’s past. Pulgar's legacy is significant in the context of the cultural and political landscape of late 15th-century Spain.
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Subject Terms
Hernando del Pulgar
Writer
- Born: 1436
- Birthplace: Toledo, Spain
- Died: 1492
Biography
Fifteenth century Spanish historian Hernando del Pulgar was the son of Diego Rodríguez del Pulgar (sometimes referred to as Diego Rodríguez de Toledo), a notary public, and the family were likely conversos, Jews who were forced by the government to convert to Catholicism. The family’s conversion and wealth combined to offer young Pulgar impressive opportunities. His childhood and first-class schooling took place in Castile at the court of King Juan II, and Pulgar grew up surrounded by nobility, royalty, and clergy, immersed in the studies of Greek, Latin, and rhetoric and in the writings of both Spanish and foreign writers.
King Henry IV succeeded Juan II in 1454, and Pulgar served him in various capacities, though never officially named to any office. He signed documents in Madrid in 1458 to legalize Álava county’s Cofradía del Campo de Arriaga (Brotherhood of the Country of Arriaga); he translated French royal documents for the king; he often served as a mediator on the behalf of Henry in the monarch’s frequent disputes with the archbishop of Toledo, Alonso Carrillo y Acuña; and in 1473, Pulgar represented the king during a diplomatic visit in Rome with Pope Sixtus IV.
One year after Pulgar’s meeting with the pope, Henry IV died and Isabella I ascended to the throne of Castile, bringing her husband, Prince Fernando of Aragon, with her to the monarchy. Pulgar continued to live at court, serving Isabella. Pulgar began a four-month visit to Paris in June 1475, with one of his responsibilities there being the arrangement of marriage between the future King Charles VIII, then a newborn, and Princess Isabella, Queen Isabella and Fernando’s daughter. When Pulgar returned home, the queen appointed him councilor of state. After leaving the court with his wife and daughter shortly thereafter, Pulgar settled at a home in either Toledo or Madrid and immersed himself in reading rare books and teaching future administrative leaders.
Most of letters for which Pulgar is known were written during this time. The letters recount royal, political, and military happenings; only thirty-two of them have survived. Many of the letters were written to prominent dignitaries of the time; some were even addressed to Queen Isabella herself. Others were more personal, including an intimate letter from Pulgar to his daughter, who had become a nun when she was only twelve years old.
Pulgar returned to royal duties in 1482 when Isabella called upon him to serve as royal historiographer; he had already been working on the manuscript she desired. As historiographer, Pulgar found himself alongside the monarchs at historical sieges and other significant events, and he also dedicated himself to composing short biographies of important Spaniards he felt had been overlooked in history. He collected twenty-six profiles in Claros varones de Castilla (1486). Pulgar concluded his work on the history of the Catholic monarchs around 1490. The account is known to be sometimes inaccurate and embellished, romanticizing its royal subjects. However, Crónica de los muy altos y esclarecidos reyes cathólicos don Fernando y doña Ysabel de gloriosa memoria (1482-1490) is nevertheless considered an improvement from previous such works and has been praised on its literary merits.