Gómez Manrique

Who was Gómez Manrique?

Gómez Manrique y de Castilla, known as Gómez Manrique, was a Spanish poet, soldier, politician and dramatist born in Amusco. The fifth son of Pedro Manrique de Lara y Mendoza, adelantado mayor of Leon. Gómez Manrique was introduced into public life at an early age, took a prominent part against the constable Alvaro de Luna during the reign of John II, went into opposition against Miguel Lucas de Iranzo in the reign of Henry IV, and declared in favor of the then infanta Isabel, soon to be Queen Isabel I of Castile, whose marriage with Ferdinand of Aragon, King Ferdinand II of Aragon, he promoted.

Besides being a distinguished soldier, he acted as a moderating political influence and, when appointed corregidor of Toledo, was active in protecting the converted Jews from popular resentment. His will was signed on the 31st of May 1490, and he is known to have died before the 16th of February 1491.

He inherited the literary taste of his uncle Iñigo López de Mendoza y de la Vega, Marquis of Santillana, and was greatly esteemed in his own age; but his reputation was afterwards eclipsed by that of his nephew Jorge Manrique, the son of his eldest brother Rodrigo Manrique de Lara, and whose Coplas por la muerte de su padre were continually reproduced.