Diego Martínez de Villamayor (died 5 November 1176) was a noble of the Kingdom of Castile from the house of the counts of Bureba, who was very influential at court.
[1] Diego Martínez de Villamayor was the son of Martín Díaz of the house of Salvadores.
After losing his wife Diego Martínez decided to retire and devote himself to the contemplative life.
[1] He gave it the rule of Saint Augustine and a Cistercian liturgy, and established a hospital dedicated to San Torcuato attached to it.
The poem tells the story of Diego Martínez de Villamayor, who aspired to be a saint, and King Alfonso VIII of Castile.