Fernando de Herrera

During Herrera's lifetime, Seville was a bustling port city from which many transatlantic voyages would embark, and trading took place with countries all over the world.

Although well-learned and knowledgeable — Herrera was a great admirer of Italian poetry, the classics, and the Bible (all of which influenced his work) — he was never known to have held any academic degree.

To accommodate his need for refuge, Herrera took minor orders in the Catholic Church [1] and received a benefice in San Andrés, a parish of Seville.

Henceforth, Herrera devoted himself to two major projects: a history of the world up to the death of Charles V and a biography of Thomas More.

Herrera's meticulous study and eventual mastery of poetic discourse earned him the name "el Divino" ("the divine one"), a name given him by Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote.

In addition, his knowledge of poetic topics helped him to become one of the leaders of the school of poets to which Herrera belonged in Seville.

The works of Herrera cover a wide range of subjects, representing his large span of knowledge and interests.