Juan Latino was born in 1518 to a black slave from
Ethiopia, since 1520 slave of
Elvira Fernández de Córdoba (c.1500-1524), 2nd
Duchess of Sessa and her husband
Luis Fernández de Córdoba y Zúñiga (c. 1480–1526), 4th
Count of Cabra. He went to
Granada where he was educated together with his owners' son
Gonzalo II Fernández de Córdoba (1520-1578), third of the same title, and with the grandson of
Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba, another famous Gonzalo, who was called "Gran Capitán". His literary and fiercest personal enemy
León Roque de Santiago mentioned that Latino was born in
Baena, as the son of a black slave woman and his master, the Duke of Sessa, Luis Fernández de Córdoba, who was also the father of his childhood friend and protector Gonzalo II Fernández de Córdoba. Latino excelled in classical languages and music, and studied with the famous grammarian
Pedro de Mota. The Duke himself commented on his dexterity, calling him:
"rara avis in terra corbo simillima nigro" (in English: "a rare bird, black like a crow"). The
University of Granada was opened in 1526, five months after the coming of
Emperor Dawit II to the city. After the
papal bull, it began to confer degrees in 1533 and was set free on 1538. In 1545, in the presence of the Archbishop, the listener of the Real Chancery, Conde de Tendilla, and many other gentlemen, Latino, aged 28 years old, received the degree of Bachelor. One of the houses he frequently visited to teach his varied grammatical teachings was the property of the Duke's administrator Licenciado Carleval, where his young daughter, Ana de Carleval, received classes from Latino. Ana de Carleval was famous in the city for her extraordinary beauty and she was engaged (by her father) to Don
Fernando de Valor (future
Abén Humeya). Juan Latino and the young lady started a relationship and a marriage took place between 1547 and 1548. They had 4 children. The playwright
Diego Jiménez de Enciso (1585–1633) composed a comedy about him and his love-affair with his student and future wife, named
Juan Latino. On 31 December 1556, in Granada, Latino received the Chair of grammar and
Latin language of the cathedral which he held for 20 years. Latino retired in 1586 and died between 1594 and 1597. He was buried in the church of Santa Ana de Granada, whose archive from that time has since been burned. His life was immortalized in a 17th-century play,
La comedia famosa de Juan Latino, by
Diego Jiménez de Enciso. ==Works==