Juan Alfonso de Baena
Encyclopedia
Juan Alfonso de Baena was a Castilian
troubadour
. Born at Baena
, he served as escribano escribiente (notarial
secretary) at the court of John II of Castile
. He was a Marrano
. Thus, he was also called "Judino."
Under the title Cancionero de Baena
, he collected poetry written during the reigns, and at the courts of, John I of Castile
, Henry III of Castile
, and John II. These included the works of many Marranos.
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...
troubadour
Troubadour
A troubadour was a composer and performer of Old Occitan lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages . Since the word "troubadour" is etymologically masculine, a female troubadour is usually called a trobairitz....
. Born at Baena
Baena
Baena is a town of Andalucia, southern Spain, in the province of Córdoba; 32 miles by road south east of the city of Córdoba. Population of the town is 20000 people. Baena is picturesquely situated near the river Marbella, on the slope of a hill crowned with a castle, which formerly belonged to the...
, he served as escribano escribiente (notarial
Notary public
A notary public in the common law world is a public officer constituted by law to serve the public in non-contentious matters usually concerned with estates, deeds, powers-of-attorney, and foreign and international business...
secretary) at the court of John II of Castile
John II of Castile
John II was King of Castile from 1406 to 1454.He was the son of Henry III of Castile and his wife Catherine of Lancaster, daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster by Constance of Castile, daughter of King Peter of Castile.-Regency:He succeeded his father on 25 December 1406, at the age of...
. He was a Marrano
Marrano
Marranos were Jews living in the Iberian peninsula who converted to Christianity rather than be expelled but continued to observe rabbinic Judaism in secret...
. Thus, he was also called "Judino."
Under the title Cancionero de Baena
Cancionero de Baena
The Cancionero de Baena was compiled between around 1426 to 1430 by the Marrano Juan Alfonso de Baena for John II of Castile. Its full title is Cancionero del Judino Juan Alfonso de Baena....
, he collected poetry written during the reigns, and at the courts of, John I of Castile
John I of Castile
John I was the king of Crown of Castile, was the son of Henry II and of his wife Juana Manuel of Castile, daughter of Juan Manuel, Prince of Villena, head of a younger branch of the royal house of Castile...
, Henry III of Castile
Henry III of Castile
Henry III KG , sometimes known as Henry the Sufferer or Henry the Infirm , was the son of John I and Eleanor of Aragon, and succeeded him as King of the Castilian Crown in 1390....
, and John II. These included the works of many Marranos.