by Juan RuIz, Archpriest of Hita

Like a number of medieval authors, Juan Ruíz emerged into the modern era solely between the covers of his book. Apart from what he says about himself in Libro de Buen Amor (the title is variously translated as The Book of Good Love and The Book of True Love), we know nothing whatsoever about him; there are no contemporary witnesses or reactions to his work (apart from a fragment in Portuguese translation), and no document from his lifetime has come to light that refers to him. Nevertheless, a number of facts (or at least strong possibilities) can be deduced or inferred from the few clues available. Given the frequent allusions to matters of judicial procedure and church law in the Libro de Buen Amor...