MADRID Researchers trying to solve one of the greatest cultural mysteries of Spain have been searching for some clues. A left hand disfigured, the mark of a gunshot wound to the chest bones, bad teeth
These are the signs they hope will help them identify the remains of Miguel de Cervantes, author of The Ingenious Hidalgo Don Quixote, considered the first modern novel.
This year meets the 400th anniversary of the publication of the second part of the novel, which follows the adventures of the knight errant and his companion Sancho Panza through Spain, and celebrations of the life and work of the author are the order of the day.
Cervantes died the year after the publication of his masterpiece, and the fact that his remains lie somewhere in the convent of Discalced Trinitarians of the Spanish capital is no secret. But it was only in the last 12 months that a serious search for them was undertaken.
It is expected that the Madrid authorities make an announcement Tuesday, but it is unclear how close the researchers to identify the remains of Cervantes from the bones that have been collected so far.
A marble plaque installed in 1870 in one of the convent walls declares that the Prince of Wits is buried there. The Spanish Royal Academy, which produces the official dictionary of the English language, has organized an annual Mass in honor of the author in this convent since 1861.
In April 2014, at the request of the Spanish historian Fernando de Prado whose research confirmed that Cervantes is actually buried there, the authorities in Madrid contributed 62,000 euros ($ 65,000) to start the search. Using electromagnetic radiation to detect objects in small spaces, a team of researchers led by Luis Avial determined the locations of the crypt and other parts of the labyrinthine floor of the convent that could save human remains. The team then proceeded to dig and sift these points results.
No one can say why so many centuries it took to start this quest. Some say the decision of the city to fund the initiative-one years amid election-played an important role as well as the enthusiasm generated by the fourth centenary of the publication. Furthermore, current technology allows for an excavation less intrusive than was possible in the past.
When asked why he demanded much time deciding to find the remains of Cervantes, Avial responded with a jocular reference to Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid star striker. “if they were the bones of Ronaldo, would have shot down the convent”
The researchers hope to identify the remains due to the injuries suffered Cervantes in 1571 during the Battle of Lepanto, which pitted the fleets of the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League, an alliance of Christian countries. Otherwise, they will have to depend on other factors, such as age of the bones.
However, there is sure to be found the remains of Cervantes. Other research teams have sought for years, the Andalusian poet Federico García Lorca, without success.
But if they are found, the Madrid authorities are finding a perfect excuse to create a new cultural space heart of the city, mimicking what happens with Shakespeare in his hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon. The discovery of the bones of Cervantes ratify the importance of the Spanish capital as a “city with history, its secrets and legends,” says Pedro Corral Corral, Chief of Arts, Sport and Tourism of the City of Madrid.
“It is normal not know where he is buried Prince of Spanish literature [and] his remains are lost within the church,” said Dario Villanueva, director of the Royal Spanish Academy.
The convent, where they live 12 nuns, occupies an entire block in the Barrio de las Letras, so called because it was there lived Cervantes and other writers of the Golden Age of Spanish literature during the sixteenth and XVII.
But the tributes in the neighborhood the author of Don Quixote are scarce. On the street Cervantes, a legend encrusted with gold letters on the pavement marks the spot where the house of the novelist, rose demolished in 1833.
For more than thirty years, Mariano Gómez has owned a restaurant near the convent and its customers and passersby have always asked about Cervantes. “Everyone wants to know where the grave is,” said Gomez, 73, in the bustle that filled his home on Saturday at noon. “It’s like in England, where people take a photo at the tomb of Shakespeare. It is normal. Why not here? “
In November, the Royal Spanish Academy published an abridged version of Don Quixote, an attempt to make it more accessible to younger generations. Although the publication coincided perfectly with the anniversary celebrations, Villanueva said that the Spanish government commissioned a “popular” version of Don Quixote in 1912.
“Just a century late, have complied with the request of government, “Villanueva said in an ironic reference to the leisurely pace of the institution he presides. “It has taken a little time. The Academy apology. “
No comments:
Post a Comment