“Cierra el pico, que hace frío” (El Cañavate, 1511)

Abstract

Near Cuenca (Spain), there is a town, El Cañavate, in a church there is a latin inscription with Gothic letters: “frigere et non dicere”. We don’t know the context. In 1511, the cardinal Cisneros give orders to engrave several incriptions in Latin and in Spanish. Maybe the king Fernando of Aragon went to the El Cañavate to resolve many problems. At that time, were published many books: the “Cancionero general”, the books of the University of Alcala, the letters of Lucio Marineo Siculo, the biography of Juan II of Aragon, the latin poems of Miguel Verino… When it’s cold, or when there are many difficulties in the winter, is better not to talk; when it´s impossible praise, is better to be silent, not find fault with nobody.