Recently, a set of missives written by the great Lope de Vega to the Duke of Sessa. In total some 117 letters of which 96 are written "in the handwriting" of the poet. They are dated from the early seventeenth century and show the most unknown Lope de Vega.
According to the National Library itself, this great discovery «It is of great value since they are autograph documents of one of the main exponents of the Golden age and of the Spanish literature of all times ». Until now, the owners of these letters were Bustos and Pardo Manuel de Villena.
But what united Lope de Vega and the Duke of Sessa?
The Duke of Sessa was Luis Fernández de Córdoba y Aragón, of whom Lope de Vega was secretary in approximately 1605. Many of the letters, although there are all kinds of them, are obscene and humorous. This could be possible because both of them stuck together some forays and sprees.
Lope de Vega was one of the great poets of the Baroque, although it is more recognized for its theater. Lope de Vega's style is quite diverse. In general, his language tended to simplicity (despite the baroque style). Lope de Vega cultivated various poetic forms:
- Poetry of popular inspiration: Represented mainly by his New Ballads. Its themes are adjusted to the literary tastes of the time and frequently recreated the pastoral and Moorish world.
- Poetry of cultured inspiration: Generally expressed in sonnets.
His three most outstanding poetic works are:
- "Rhymes", love theme and Petrarchan inspiration.
- «Sacred rhymes«, written under his own personal crisis, religiously inspired.
- "Human and divine rhymes of the lawyer Tomé de Burguillos", of an antigongorino and disappointed tone.
It must also be said that these cards have been purchased for a total of $400.000, that their state of conservation is very good and that they could have been sold for more than double abroad.