Don Pedro Calderon de la Barca Famous Spanish playwright of the Baroque era Date of Birth: 17.01.1600 Country: Spain

1. Biography of Don Pedro Calderón de la Barca
2. Early Life and Education
3. Literary Career and Military Service
4. Personal Tragedies and Religious Calling
5. Later Years and Legacy

Biography of Don Pedro Calderón de la Barca

Don Pedro Calderón de la Barca Enao la Barrera-i-Riano was born on January 17, 1600, in Madrid. He was a renowned Spanish playwright of the Baroque era. Calderón's plays presented a world of rich imagination, intricately woven with various motifs, and always captivated the attention of the audience. His works reflected the unique Spanish characteristics of his time.

Early Life and Education

Despite the impressive name and proud coat of arms with the motto "For the Faith," many biographers were misled into believing Calderón had an aristocratic background. In reality, he belonged to the middle-class nobility. His grandfather was a scribe in the royal treasury, and his grandmother was the daughter of a skilled gunsmith Francisco Ruiz, whose creations were considered fit for a prince. At the age of eight, Pedro was sent to the Imperial College of Jesuits in Madrid for education. When his mother passed away when he was ten, his father, Don Diego Calderón, was left with six children. In 1614, his father remarried, and conflicts with his stepmother over the small inheritance led to a legal dispute.

After completing his studies at the college, Pedro Calderón was sent to the University of Alcalá de Henares and later transferred to the University of Salamanca, where he studied civil and canon law. However, due to family problems, Calderón was forced to interrupt his education and return to Madrid. Information about Calderón's youth is scarce, but it is known that between 1619 and 1623, he lived in Madrid, not considering a religious career and leading a carefree life. During his free time from worldly amusements, Calderón continued his poetry, which he had developed a passion for while under the care of the Jesuit fathers. He wrote his first comedy at the age of thirteen and received praise from Lope de Vega for a sonnet he composed for a poetic competition on the Feast of St. Isidore in 1620.

Literary Career and Military Service

After 1623, there is little information about Calderón's presence in the capital. It is believed that between 1623 and 1625, he spent time in northern Italy. Upon his return to Madrid in 1625, Calderón devoted himself entirely to literature and theater. His first fully authenticated comedy, "Love, Honor, and Power," dates back to 1623. Most of his plays were performed at the lavish Royal Palace. Details about Calderón's later life are even scarcer. However, it is known that he also tested his abilities on the military battlefield. In 1638, when French troops under the command of Prince Conde invaded Spain near Bidasoa and besieged the fortress of Fuenterrabia, Calderón, motivated by patriotism, abandoned his work on another comedy and hurried to the place of military action with his brother Jose. Three years later, Pedro Calderón, among the knights of the Order of Santiago, participated in the campaign against Catalonia, where a separatist movement had begun. His military valor was documented in a detailed report by his superior, Alvaro de Quiñones.

Personal Tragedies and Religious Calling

Despite his literary, secular, and even military successes, the 1640s were gloomy and harsh for Calderón. In 1645, his beloved younger brother Jose died while defending an outlying fortress. A year later, his eldest brother Diego also passed away. In 1648, the woman he loved, who had given birth to his one-year-old son (who also died soon after), died. Alongside personal tragedies, other circumstances affected not only Calderón's material well-being but also his literary future. The persecution of the theater, personal sorrows, and the prevailing influence of the church undoubtedly influenced Calderón's decision to take religious orders. On September 18, 1651, he was ordained as a priest. In 1653, Calderón was appointed as the head of the New Kings Cathedral in Toledo. This appointment was initially opposed by the patriarch of the Indies, Alonso Perez de Guzman, who believed that writing plays was incompatible with such a position. However, he ultimately requested an auto (a religious play) from Calderón for the celebration of Corpus Christi. Calderón responded with a proud letter: "Either it is wicked to write plays or it is not. If it is not, then do not hinder me. If it is, then do not ask."

Later Years and Legacy

Starting from 1651, Calderón stopped writing secular plays, except for lavish productions designed for palace spectacles. In 1663, the king demanded Calderón's presence at court, and he was appointed as the royal chaplain. In 1665, Calderón's patron, Philip IV, passed away, and Calderón left the court and became the head of the congregation of St. Peter in the cathedral church, which consisted of priests native to Madrid. In his final years, Calderón devoted most of his leisure time to writing autos for Madrid, Toledo, Seville, and Granada, which was considered a great honor.

On Sunday, May 25, 1681, the great Spanish playwright departed from this transient world. On that day, his autos were performed in all the major cities of Spain.