Quick Facts
Biography
Juan Latino, born Juan de Sessa, (Baena, 1518 – Granada, 1596), was a Spanish black professor at Granada during the sixteenth century.
Life
Son of black slaves of the second Duke consort of Sessa since 1520, Luis Fernández de Córdoba, deceased Rome, Italy, 1526, he went to Granada where he was educated together with his master's son and the grandson of another famous Gonzalo, Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, El Gran Capitán. Juan Latino emphasized especially in classical languages and music. He attended together with Gonzalo, Gonzalo II Fernández de Córdoba (1520-1578), the son of Luis Fernández de Cordoba, named as his illustrious ancestor, to the subject of the famous grammarian Pedro de Mota, showing great abilities, the Duke himself commented on his dexterity: rara avis in terra corbo simillima nigro.
The University of Granada had been opened in 1526, five months after the coming of the emperor to the city, and after the papal bull, it began to confer degrees in 1533. In 1545, in the presence of the Archbishop, the listener of the Real Chancery, Conde de Tendilla, and many other gentlemen, Juan Latino received the degree of Bachiller. He was 28 years old in that time.
He was set free and received in Granada the Chair of grammar and latin language of the Cathedral, post that he held for twenty years. His literary and fiercest personal enemy, León Roque de Santiago, maintained that Juan Latino was born in Baena, son of a slave woman and the Duke of Sessa, Luis Fernández de Córdoba, father of his friend and protector Gonzalo II Fernández de Córdoba (1520-1578), third of the same title.
One the houses he frequented to teach his varied grammatical teachings was property of the Duke's administrator, Licenciado Carleval, whose daughter, famous in the city because of her extraordinary beauty and fiancée by her father to Don Fernando de Valor, future Abén Humeya, received classes. The playwright Diego Jiménez de Enciso (1585–1633) composed about him and his love-affairs with his student and future white wife, the young Ana Carleval, the comedy Juan Latino. The strange interracial relation was fruitful and the marriage took place between 1547 and 1548.
Nonetheless, without the support of the Duke, it would have been unlikely to carry out so pintoresque union in the Spain of that age. Even with such support, it is not frequent in many societies the union of a slave with a woman of the high society, which constitutes a note of glory in that Spanish society given the permissiveness.
Works
Latino published three volumes of poems between 1573 and 1585.
His poem Austrias Carmen, was dedicated to John of Austria after his victory over the Morisco insurrection in Granada, known as the War of the Alpujarras (1568–1572).
He has been hailed as one of the first writers to have used signifyin(g).