The Marquis of Liche. Alcaide of Buen Retiro and “Superintendent” of Royal Celebrations

Abstract

Don Gaspar de Haro y Guzmán was the son of Don Luis de Haro, nephew of the Count-Duke of Olivares and heir to his position of court favourite. He was the VIIth Marquis del Carpio and Marquis of Heliche or Liche, title which he carried onto posterity, thus belonging from birth in 1629 to the closed circle having maximum authority in the Madrid court of the last Austrias. A man of strong character, complex personality and being very highly educated and cultured, Liche formed part of a first order “artistic team” along with Calderón de la Barca and the Italian scenographer Baccio del Bianco, which was decisive in the development of the first courtesan theatrical festivity to be sung. This was the Hispanic solution to the experiments in musical theatre which different European courts developed during the early baroque period.