Castellano / Castilian
Novel , 2021
Destino
Pages: 368
The epic uprising of the people of Castile against the abuse of power by Carlos V culminated in the Battle of Villalar on April 23, 1521. The imperial troops overwhelmed those of the Castilian Communities and decapitated their main captains: Padilla, Bravo, and Maldonado. That day marked the definitive decline of a prosperous kingdom that stretched across three continents, and whose dissolution gave rise to a new Empire that exploited its people and resources. Since then, Castile and the Castilians have been seen as abusive dominators, when in reality their soul was lost on that battlefield and has languished in impoverished lands, depopulated cities, and faded banners.
This novel is a journey to that failure, born of a dream of pride and freedom against the ambition and greed of intrusive rulers, and, in parallel, of the author's belated discovery, as a result of alienation and external rejection, of his Castilian lineage and the weight it has had on his character and world-view.