Manuscripts, poetic creation, translation: the testimonies of the first arrival of Dante's Commedia in Castile through Imperial, Santillana and Villena

Abstract

In this article, I shall present the three intertwined paths or modalities through which Dante’s Commedia entered Castile: that of “poetic creation”, that of “manuscripts,” and that of “translation”. I will try to demonstrate how these paths are so interdependent that we cannot understand one without the other. In other words, the in-depth study of one will lead us to question and draw conclusions about the other. The figure of Imperial and the study of the Dezir de las siete virtudes will be central, for his use of the technique of translation, beyond being fundamental in the creation of his work, allows us to identify corrupt lessons, of which I will propose new amendments. My analysis will also dwell on the fundamental role that Francisco Imperial, the Marquis of Santillana, and Enrique de Villena played in the acclimatization of Dante in Castile.