El Encomio del duque de Alba de Calvete de Estrella. Entre la apología y el desagravio

Abstract

This study focuses on an unfairly neglected poem entitled Ad Albae ducem Encomium (Antwerp, 1573) by the historian and poet Juan Cristóbal Calvete de Estrella, who was commissioned to compose it by the Duchess of Alba. By means of different rhetorical techniques related to the encomium, such as the surpassing of paradigmatic models from Classical Antiquity or the concealment of negative aspects, the poet sketches a flattering portrait of the Great Duke with the intention of both praising him and improving his public image.

Keywords

• Encomiastic Poetry (16th Century)
• Calvete de Estrella Juan Cristóbal
• Álvarez de Toledo Fernando (duque de Alba)