Josep Romaguera
Encyclopedia
Josep Romaguera (1642–1723) is the author of the only emblem book
ever published in the Catalan language
, the Atheneo de Grandesa
. His work consists of prose
, poetry
and sermons. His writing is typical of Baroque
style.
Romaguera was born in Barcelona
during the Catalan Revolt
(Guerra dels Segadors) against Castile
in 1642 and lived until 1723, according to the epitaph of him published in the manuscript Historia Eclesiástica del principado de Cataluña by the Mercedarian historian Pere Serra i Postius. There is no known mention of him in public life until he began his ecclesiastical career in 1661, the date of his first benefice; he served both in the Inquisition
and as a Canon Law
Professor at the University of Barcelona
. Romaguera’s publications, apart from the Atheneo, include sermons preached in Castilian
on various Saints’ festival days; his other works, including apparently the second and/or third volumes of the Atheneo, are lost. According to the epitaph by Postius, Romaguera was a renowned preacher and intellectual, and also represented the Catholic Church in the Courts convened by Philip V
in 1701–1702. For Postius, Romaguera was a unique individual, "One of the most famous men that Catalonia has had in Letters, Prudence and Government at the end of the previous Century and beginning of the present one. For he was a very elegant orator in Verse as well as Prose. He was an ingenious, sententious, sweet, gallant and brilliant Catalan poet, as his book shows" [translation of Spanish original] (f.104r).
Romaguera was known as a defender of the Catalan language, and indeed in the Prologue to the Atheneo he states that his book is an attempt to give "an inspiration to Catalan pens."
Emblem book
Emblem books are a category of mainly didactic illustrated book printed in Europe during the 16th and 17th centuries, typically containing a number of emblematic images with explanatory text....
ever published in the Catalan language
Catalan language
Catalan is a Romance language, the national and only official language of Andorra and a co-official language in the Spanish autonomous communities of Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencian Community, where it is known as Valencian , as well as in the city of Alghero, on the Italian island...
, the Atheneo de Grandesa
Atheneo de Grandesa
The Atheneo de Grandesa is an emblem book written in the Catalan language by Josep Romaguera and published in 1681 by the printer Joan Jolis in Barcelona. It contains 15 engravings by an unknown artist.-Structure:...
. His work consists of prose
Prose
Prose is the most typical form of written language, applying ordinary grammatical structure and natural flow of speech rather than rhythmic structure...
, poetry
Poetry
Poetry is a form of literary art in which language is used for its aesthetic and evocative qualities in addition to, or in lieu of, its apparent meaning...
and sermons. His writing is typical of Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style.
Romaguera was born in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
during the Catalan Revolt
Catalan Revolt
The Catalan Revolt affected a large part of the Catalan Principality of Catalonia between the years of 1640 and 1659. It had an enduring effect in the Treaty of the Pyrenees , which ceded the county of Roussillon and the northern half of the county of Cerdanya to France , thereby splitting the...
(Guerra dels Segadors) against Castile
Castile (historical region)
A former kingdom, Castile gradually merged with its neighbours to become the Crown of Castile and later the Kingdom of Spain when united with the Crown of Aragon and the Kingdom of Navarre...
in 1642 and lived until 1723, according to the epitaph of him published in the manuscript Historia Eclesiástica del principado de Cataluña by the Mercedarian historian Pere Serra i Postius. There is no known mention of him in public life until he began his ecclesiastical career in 1661, the date of his first benefice; he served both in the Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
and as a Canon Law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
Professor at the University of Barcelona
University of Barcelona
The University of Barcelona is a public university located in the city of Barcelona, Catalonia in Spain. It is a member of the Coimbra Group, LERU, European University Association, Mediterranean Universities Union, International Research Universities Network and Vives Network...
. Romaguera’s publications, apart from the Atheneo, include sermons preached in Castilian
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...
on various Saints’ festival days; his other works, including apparently the second and/or third volumes of the Atheneo, are lost. According to the epitaph by Postius, Romaguera was a renowned preacher and intellectual, and also represented the Catholic Church in the Courts convened by Philip V
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
in 1701–1702. For Postius, Romaguera was a unique individual, "One of the most famous men that Catalonia has had in Letters, Prudence and Government at the end of the previous Century and beginning of the present one. For he was a very elegant orator in Verse as well as Prose. He was an ingenious, sententious, sweet, gallant and brilliant Catalan poet, as his book shows" [translation of Spanish original] (f.104r).
Romaguera was known as a defender of the Catalan language, and indeed in the Prologue to the Atheneo he states that his book is an attempt to give "an inspiration to Catalan pens."