Alfonso X of Castile (1221-1284)
Portrait of Alfonso X from the codex Tumbo ‘A’ from Santiago.
| Alternative last name spellings: – |
| Alternative first name spellings: – |
| Alias: El sabio. |
“Had I been present at the Creation, I would have given some useful hints for the better ordering of the universe.”
GENERAL INFO
| Description: Alfonso X was king of Castile between 1252 and 1284. His reign was marked by conquests and revolts, but Alfonso has gone down in history as a enhancer of culture and a reference in the field of music, chess, astronomy and history. He wrote “El libro de los juegos” (The book of games) in which the oldest chess problems that are known in Europe appear, and is the oldest book about this sport. His contribution to medieval music stands out, especially with the “Cantigas de Santa María”; a set of lyrical songs accompanied by musical notation and some illustrations that are among the best of the painting of his time. |
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| Sex: Male. | Occupation: King of Castile. |
| Place of Birth / Death: Toledo, Castile / Seville, Castile. | Country Tags: Spain. |
| Centuries: XIII | Title: – |
| World Champion: – | School: – |
| Styles: – | Chess Olympiads: – |
IN MUSICHESS
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| Music Composers vs. Chess Players: |
External links
- Ajedrez de ataque: Un juego de reyes: http://www.ajedrezdeataque.com/04%20Articulos/00%20Otros%20articulos/Personajes/historicos.htm – [22/03/2018].
- Alfonso X at Encyclopaedia Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfonso-X – [22/03/2018]
- Alfonso X el sabio at naxos: https://www.naxos.com/person/_Alfonso_X__El_Sabio_/17620.htm – [22/03/2018]
- Alfonso X: The book of games: http://games.rengeekcentral.com/ – [22/03/2018]
- Biografías y vidas: Alfonso X el Sabio: https://www.biografiasyvidas.com/biografia/a/alfonso_x.htm – [22/03/2018]
- Facsimile Finder: Alfonso X The Wise’s Book of Chess, Dice and Board Games: https://www.facsimilefinder.com/facsimiles/alfonso-x-the-wise-s-book-of-chess-dice-and-board-games-facsimile – [22/03/2018].
- National Geographic España: Alfonso X el Sabio: el mayor cronista de la España medieval: http://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/historia/actualidad/alfonso-x-el-sabio-el-mayor-cronista-de-la-espana-medieval_10256 – [22/03/2018].
- Medieval.org: Alfonso X “el Sabio” (1221 – 1284) – A discography of attributed works: http://www.medieval.org/emfaq/composers/cantigas.html – [22/03/2018].
- Wikipedia the free encyclopedia: Alfonso X of Castile: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfonso_X_of_Castile – [22/03/2018].
- Wikiquote: Alfonso X of Castile: https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alfonso_X_of_Castile – [22/03/2018].
Bibliography
- Averbakh, Yuri. (2012). A history of chess. From Chaturanga to the present day. Milford, USA: Russel enterprises Inc.
- Eales, Richard. (2002). Chess: The history of a game. Glasgow, Scotland: Hardinge Simpole Publishing.
- Gordon, Stewart (2009). “The Game of Kings”. Saudi Aramco World. Houston: Aramco Services Company.
- Hooper, David. Whyld, Kenneth. (1992). The Oxford companion to chess. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Martínez, H. Salvador (2010), Alfonso X, the Learned: A Biography, Leiden: Brill
- Murray, H. J. R. (1913). A history of chess. New York: Oxford University Press.
- O’Callaghan, Joseph F. (1993), The Learned King: The Reign of Alfonso X of Castile, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press
- Remensnyder, Amy G. (2011), The Virgin and the King: Alfonso X’s Cantigas de Santa Maria, in Jason Glenn, The Middle Ages in Texts and Texture: Reflections on Medieval Sources, Toronto: University of Toronto Press
- Samsó, Julio (2007). Alfonso X. In Thomas Hockey; et al. The Biographical Encyclopedia of Astronomers. New York: Springer.
- Thomas, Phillip Drennon (1970). Alfonso el Sabio. Dictionary of Scientific Biography. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
