Dr. Rafael Castillo Bejarano presented a paper
On Monday, November 2, Rafael Castillo Bejarano, Visiting Assistant Professor of Modern Languages and Literatures, presented a research paper at the 12th Triennial Congress of the Asociación Internacional Siglo de Oro (AISO), hold virtually in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, November 2-6, 2020. In his talk, Professor Castillo Bejarano focused on Lope de Vega, the World's most influential playwright during the Early Modern period. Through new documentary evidence, he proved that a Lope de Vegas's letter, up to now considered to be addressed to "Prince" Philips, later Philips IV of Spain, was, in fact, addressed to Francisco de Borja y Aragón, Prince of Esquilache, a noblemen and poet, and Viceroy of Peru. The work links the letter with two funeral poems by Lope and Esquilache regretting the death in 1627 of an until now unknown dame, identified in the research as a lady-in-waiting of the Queen, Catalina de la Cerda, a now forgotten character whose importance in the courtly life and international diplomacy of the period has been highlighted by Professor Castillo Bejarano in another recent work. For instance, that lady had performed, along with other noble amateur actresses, a comedy by Lope during some Royal celebrations at the Palace.
