LOPE DE VEGA

“My little house, my peace, my garden and my study.” Such was the way Lope de Vega described his house in a letter to a friend. A visit to this house is a testimony, free admission a literary and emotional journey, an invi- T. 914 29 92 16 tation to travel through art, literature and www.casamuseolopedevega.org history to a bygone Madrid. opening hours Known as the Spanish Phoenix, Lope de 2 Tuesday to Sunday: From 10 am to 6 pm (last tour starts at 5 pm). Vega is one of the most widely acclaimed Closed: on Mondays, 1 and 6 January, 1 May, 24, 25 and 31 December, writers of the Spanish Golden Age. The au- In addition to being a writer, Lope and one local holiday. tobiographical references in his work have had other occupations, such as a soldier, Opening hours may change due to special activities taking place. permitted a fairly detailed reconstruction secretary for his friend and confidant the of the controversial life of this writer, who Duke of Sessa, and, after the death of his informations and bookings had little regard for the norms and morals second wife, priest. [email protected] of the day. However, this attitude proved to There has been much discussion about be no obstacle (indeed, quite the contrary) Lope’s colourful love life. He was married to enjoying overwhelming success with au- twice, to Isabel de Urbina (Belisa in his tours diences both during and after his lifetime. writings), and to Juana de Guardo. He Access to the museum is via guided group tours (maximum 10 people accompanied by a guide). also had affairs with Micaela Luján (Camila Lucinda), with whom he had five children (Marcela and Lope Félix among them), Tours must be booked in advance by telephone or email. and Marta de Nevares (Amarilis and Marcia Tours begin every 30 minutes and can be conducted in English and French Leonarda). as well as Spanish. Lope cultivated nearly every genre of the day, including poetry and prose, but how to get the museum it is undoubtedly his plays that make up Metro: Antón Martín: Line 1. Sol: Lines 1, 2 and 3 the bulk of his oeuvre. He claimed to have Renfe suburban rail: From Sol: Lines C-3 and C-4 Bus: Line M1 written 1,500 plays and approximately 500 are extant, although only 314 have been Photographs and video are allowed with mobile devices (no flash or tripods) confirmed as his work. The theatrical pieces for personal use only. reveal Lope’s most refreshing side. Some of 1 the recurring motifs in his work are questions of honour (Peribáñez and the Commander He studied at the Jesuit school and the of Ocaña), fantastical love tangles (The dog

Cover photography: ©David Serrano ©David photography: Cover University of Alcalá de Henares. In 1587, af- in the manger), and historical themes and ter an unhappy affaire de coeur, he wrote Spanish legends (Fuenteovejuna). His poems a series of disparaging poems about Elena and plays were nevertheless spectacularly Osorio, which earned him eight years of successful among the general populace. banishment to Valencia, Toledo and Alba de He passed away at the age of 73 on 27 Tormes. He moved back to Madrid in 1610 August 1635 and was buried in the Church and bought this house, where he lived until of San Sebastián, on the present-day Calle his death. Atocha, very close to his home.

D.L.: M-20345-2016 B.O.C.M. M-20345-2016 D.L.:

www.casamuseolopedevega.org

28014 MADRID 28014

C/ CERVANTES, 11 CERVANTES, C/ english ORIGINS OF THE ITINERARY

HOUSE MUSEUM The house, situated on what used to be The Casa Museo Lope de Vega is located in Calle Francos—the present-day Calle Cer- the building where the writer lived out the vantes— is at the heart of the Literary last 25 years of his life. In the late 19th cen- Quarter or Barrio de las Letras in Madrid. tury several chroniclers and historians like Just a few metres away, at Calle León, was Mesoneros Romanos documented the histo- the famous mentidero de representantes, ry of the house. The year 1929 marked the a type of gossip shop where playwrights, beginning of this story, created inside this actors and poets would gather to discuss 7 9 building which had continued to be used as the latest theatrical successes and flops. a private home for three hundred years. The entry hall provides access to the room, the largest in the house, contains In the dining room, typically Spanish fur- museum and to the garden that Lope important bibliographic heritage from niture, pottery from Talavera and still lifes of called his güertecillo (little kitchen gar- the 17th century, on permanent loan from the Flemish school paint a picture of every- den). Today it is an oasis of peace in the the Spanish National Library. There are day domestic life. Adjacent to this room is bustling city centre. also paintings from the Convent of the the kitchen, located on the first floor, fea- Upstairs, on the first floor, there is the Trinitarian Nuns and the Prado Museum. tures a typical hearth arrangement from 4 small chapel where, after being ordained Next we come to the ladies’ drawing that period. The final room on the first floor a priest, the writer celebrated mass every room, a space characteristic of Spain’s is the bedchamber of the daughters Felici- The inventory of assets and Lope de Ve- day. It features a 17th-century altarpiece Golden Age but actually of eastern ori- ana (Lope’s heiress) and Antonia Clara. ga’s will from 1627, the legacy of his daugh- with a statue of Saint Isidro, the patron gin, where people would sit cross-legged On the top or attic floor is a recreation ter Antonia Clara from 1664 and historical saint of Madrid. Statues, paintings, in the Turkish style. From the 16th century of the guest room or bedchamber of Cap- documentation on the building were the reliquaries, lecterns and a variety of onwards, this parlour tended to be used tain Contreras, one of the most adventur- 3 references used to recreate the various 6 religious objects complete the setting in exclusively by the women of the house for ous and best-known figures who graced rooms in the museum with personal ob- this room. needlework, prayer, reading or leisurely the house. Next to it are the servants’ The last owner, Antonia García, widow of jects, furniture and works of art. Additional On the lintel over the entrance an in- The study, a private space, witnessed conversation. Boxes, small chests, mirrors room and the chamber of the sons, Lope Cabrejo, set up the García Cabrejo Teaching objects were provided through donations scription reads: “D.O.M. PARVA PROPIA the birth of the best of Lope’s literary and a few paintings were objects typically Félix and Carlos Félix. Foundation to create the museum, and the and acquisitions. MAGNA/MAGNA ALIENA PARVA” (trans- work, and it is easy to imagine the writer found in these rooms. Spanish Royal Academy accepted respon- In 1990 the Spanish Royal Academy and lated by Calderón de la Barca, another in the company of his visitors, seated in an sibility for the administration of the foun- the Regional Government of Madrid signed Golden Age playwright and poet, as “One’s armchair and writing at a solid 17th-century dation and the restoration of the house. In an agreement to carry out restoration work own shelter is much, even when it is little/ Castilian table surrounded by bureaus, 1935, coinciding with the third centennial of and revitalise the Casa Museo Lope de and much shelter is little, if not one’s own”). with braziers and wall-hangings to ward the writer’s death, the house was declared Vega, and since December 2007 it has been This assertion became a popular saying in off the harsh winter cold. He would also an artistic-historical monument and was administered by the Regional Government Madrid at the time. have been surrounded by books, and this 11 of Madrid. opened to the public as a house museum. photographs

1 Detail of Lope de Vega’s study. 2 Portrait of Lope de Vega. On loan from the Instituto Valencia de don Juan. 3 Entrance to the garden. 4 Detail of the tapestry in the ladies’ drawing room. 10 5 Guided groups tours at the museum. 6 Garden. The bedchamber where the writer died 7 Chapel. 8 Lope de Vega’s study. is the smallest but also the most private 9 Ladies’ drawing room. room in the house. As an old man, Lope 10 Kitchen. could follow mass in the chapel nearby 11 Detail of the painting La barca de la salvación. 5 8 from the window opposite his bed. On loan from the Convento de las Trinitarias.

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