The Travels of the Infante Dom Pedro of Portugal (Harvard Studies in Romance Languages)

The Infante Dom Pedro (1392–1449), prince of Portugal, warrior, traveler, regent, was hero and victim of a legend. In the Book of the Infante Dom Pedro, an early-sixteenth-century Spanish fantasy by Gómez de Santisteban, Pedro’s journeys may dimly reflect the Infante’s actual wanderings in Europe but also involve Amazons and Giants in a medieval world that includes the goals of Prester John’s court and Apostle Thomas’s shrine in the Indies.Here is a full translation of the Book, with a detailed discussion of the real travels, their transformation into legend, the tale’s influence, and the Spanish author’s true purpose. Preface Contents Illustrations I. The Dual Βackground II. Preparations for Departure III. The European Tour IV. The Travels and the European Imagination V. European Imagination an the Orient VI. The “Book of the Infante Dom Pedro” VII. Meaning and Authorship οf the “Book” VIII. Impact of tke “Book” and the Travels APPENDIX Notes Bibliography Index