The Mediterranean in the 14th century

Juan Ruiz, Archpriest of Hita

This cleric poet, wise man, minstrel and thinker was born and lived his life, it is thought, in Alcalá de Henares during the 14th century. Little is known of the biography of the Archpriest of Hita, but his name has traditionally been linked in the history of literature to the masterpiece of European poetry, The Book of Good Love.

Western literary tradition and certain Arab influences are intertwined in this work, and some authorities affirm that The Book of Good Love is the product of an Arabized society. It is a parodic vision of courtly love and constitutes, without a doubt, one of the high points of medieval literature.