Alfonso X El Sabio

Spanish monarch and poet Alfonso X (“El Sabio”—the Wise) was crowned King of Castile and León in 1252 and was a celebrated patron of learning and letters. His greatest contribution to music was a collection of more than 400 songs—the Cantigas de Santa Maria—assembled at court during his long life (1221-84). Alfonso’s own role is uncertain, though he may have contributed some of the texts. The main importance of the collection is that, almost uniquely, it survives with all its music. Many of the single-line melodies were actually well-known tunes adapted to new words—a common practice at the time, though unusually they were supplied with rhythmic notation. Most of the songs recount (spurious) miracles performed by the Virgin Mary: “Miragres Fremosos” is about a man who is going to chop off his own foot, but after praying to Mary she appears in a vision and massages away the pain.