Francisco Delicado
Encyclopedia
Francisco Delicado (c. 1480 – c. 1535) was a Spanish
writer
and editor of the Renaissance
. Little is known about his life. He was born in Cordoba, Spain
and, by uncertain reasons, he moved to Rome
, where he became vicar and Italianized his surname to Delicado. After the sack of Rome
, he went to Venice
where he wrote his novel Portrait of Lozana: The Lusty Andalusian Woman
(El retrato de la Loçana Andaluza, 1528), that continues on the lines of the dialogued novel as Celestina. The book is a social and historical portrait of Rome and its dark side in the first years of the 16th century, and one of the first works of the picaresque novel
. He was also a disciple of Antonio de Nebrija
(who wrote Gramática de la lengua castellana
, the first extensive work on Spanish language
grammar
) and editor of books such as Amadis de Gaula
(1533), Celestina (1531-1534), Primaleon (1534) and some medical treatises like El modo de adoperare el legno de India (about the use of leño de Indias in the treatment of syphilis
) and De consolatione infirmorum (a work that is only mentioned at the end of Portrait of Lozana but of which no copies are known).
He himself suffered of syphilis.
His favourable portrait of Jews has led some to suspect that he was a Converso
.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
and editor of the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
. Little is known about his life. He was born in Cordoba, Spain
Córdoba, Spain
-History:The first trace of human presence in the area are remains of a Neanderthal Man, dating to c. 32,000 BC. In the 8th century BC, during the ancient Tartessos period, a pre-urban settlement existed. The population gradually learned copper and silver metallurgy...
and, by uncertain reasons, he moved to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, where he became vicar and Italianized his surname to Delicado. After the sack of Rome
Sack of Rome
The city of Rome has been sacked on several occasions. Among the most famous:*Battle of the Allia – Rome is sacked by the Gauls after the Battle of the Allia*Sack of Rome – Rome is sacked by Alaric, King of the Visigoths...
, he went to Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
where he wrote his novel Portrait of Lozana: The Lusty Andalusian Woman
Portrait of Lozana: The Lusty Andalusian Woman
The Portrait of Lozana: The Lusty Andalusian Woman is a book written in Venice by the Spanish editor of the Renaissance, Francisco Delicado, in 1528, after he escaped from Rome due to the anti-Spanish sentiment that uprose after the sack of Rome a year earlier...
(El retrato de la Loçana Andaluza, 1528), that continues on the lines of the dialogued novel as Celestina. The book is a social and historical portrait of Rome and its dark side in the first years of the 16th century, and one of the first works of the picaresque novel
Picaresque novel
The picaresque novel is a popular sub-genre of prose fiction which is usually satirical and depicts, in realistic and often humorous detail, the adventures of a roguish hero of low social class who lives by his wits in a corrupt society...
. He was also a disciple of Antonio de Nebrija
Antonio de Nebrija
Antonio de Lebrija , also known as Antonio de Nebrija, Elio Antonio de Lebrija, Antonius Nebrissensis, and Antonio of Lebrixa, was a Spanish scholar, known for writing a grammar of the Castilian language, credited as one of the first published grammars of a Romance language...
(who wrote Gramática de la lengua castellana
Gramática de la lengua castellana
Gramática de la lengua castellana is a book written by Antonio de Nebrija and published in 1492...
, the first extensive work on Spanish language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
grammar
Grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of structural rules that govern the composition of clauses, phrases, and words in any given natural language. The term refers also to the study of such rules, and this field includes morphology, syntax, and phonology, often complemented by phonetics, semantics,...
) and editor of books such as Amadis de Gaula
Amadis de Gaula
Amadis de Gaula is a landmark work among the knight-errantry tales which were in vogue in 16th century Iberian Peninsula, and formed the earliest reading of many Renaissance and Baroque writers, although it was written at the onset of the 14th century.The first known printed edition was published...
(1533), Celestina (1531-1534), Primaleon (1534) and some medical treatises like El modo de adoperare el legno de India (about the use of leño de Indias in the treatment of syphilis
Syphilis
Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infection caused by the spirochete bacterium Treponema pallidum subspecies pallidum. The primary route of transmission is through sexual contact; however, it may also be transmitted from mother to fetus during pregnancy or at birth, resulting in congenital syphilis...
) and De consolatione infirmorum (a work that is only mentioned at the end of Portrait of Lozana but of which no copies are known).
He himself suffered of syphilis.
His favourable portrait of Jews has led some to suspect that he was a Converso
Converso
A converso and its feminine form conversa was a Jew or Muslim—or a descendant of Jews or Muslims—who converted to Catholicism in Spain or Portugal, particularly during the 14th and 15th centuries. Mass conversions once took place under significant government pressure...
.