Estudios sobre la vida y obra de Luis Alfonso de Carvallo (1571-1635)

Abstract

Estudios sobre la vida y obra de Luis A(fonso de Carvallo (15711635). By Alberto Porqueras Mayo. Oviedo: Real Instituto de Estudios Asturianos, 1997. 172 pages. This work is the culmination of a long-term study which Porqueras did on this Asturian Jesuit teacher, poetic theoretician, and rhetorician. Indeed, the prologue, written by Javier Fernandez Conde of the University of Oviedo, recognizes this important Ovetense whom Fernandez associates with poetic theory and rhetoric. Luis Alfonso Carvallo was born in 1571 in Cangas de Tineo (today Cangas de Narcea) and died on February 2, 1635 in Villagarcia de Campos. Porqueras does a survey of Carvallo's life and career and comments written about him, hoping to disprove the notion that Carvallo was a canonigo: Porqueras intends to address the various myths and realities about his subject. The important work which Porqueras studies for its content on rhetoric and poetic theory is Cisne de apolo (1602), in which Carvallo displays, according to Porqueras, his vast erudition, poetic sensitivity and his gran asturianismo. He also focuses on Mucio Vitelleschi, father general of the Society of Jesus, who was well disposed to Carvallo. Porqueras reviews various stages in Carvallo's life: an etapa gallega, etapa segoviana, etc. Carvallo entered the Society of Jesus in Galicia and not Asturias. The question of why Carvallo left Asturias is left open. Carvallo had a career as a teacher in colegios and secondary education institutions. During his etapa riojana Porqueras cites good reports about Carvallo's work, where his humanistic background was praised. During his Segovian period he gets to teach maiores. It is during his etapa vallisoletana that he dies. During his career there was one negative report done on him (these are secret, confidential evaluations); otherwise, his activity was commented on positively. In spite of his success as a teacher and rhetorician, he did not leave any great impress in the history of the Jesuit order. In doing the research for this figure, Porqueras unearths much interesting material (some of which are given in appendices) which shed light on his career, including an interesting report in which Carvallo is allowed to have chocolate (!). The works of Joel Spingarn, Barnard Weinberg, Robert Clements and Otis Green serve as the critical foundation to Porqueras's scholarship in this work. The Cisne de oro is a defense of poetry. As a background to the work, Porqueras provides a useful survey of poetic theory beginning with Filon and Josephus and allegorical exegesis to Boethius and Saint Augustine, Saint Jerome, Casiodorus, Origen, Eusebius, Albertino Mussato, Petrarch, Boccaccio and Melchor Cano. …