COMUNICACIÓN Y PRENSA

This month’s recommended reading is about Ana de Mendoza y de la Cerda, better known as the Princess of Éboli.
Born in Cifuentes (Guadalajara) in 1540 she was one of the best known women in the Mendoza family, the most important political and economic power group in all of Castile in the 15th, 16th and early 17th Centuries. The House of Mondéjar and Tendilla, which had such close links with the Alhambra, were also part of the Mendoza family.
The story of this princess is a combination of real history and legend, which ended in harsh imprisonment after being arrested in her house in Madrid on 28th July 1579. She was taken first to the Tower of Pinto (Madrid), later to the fortress at Santorcaz (Madrid) and finally to the Palace of Pastrana (Guadalajara) where she remained until her death in 1592.
At first she was shut away in two rooms that were connected to the rest of the palace via a turnstile, with no contact with the outside world than through her barred-off balcony. Later, after Antonio Pérez, Philip II’s secretary, fled to Aragon, the King toughened up her prison regime by covering the window bars with a wooden screen.
We recommend you read this book to find out more about the events that led to her imprisonment.
Rosa García Blanco