Originally published in 1499 as ‘Comedia de Calisto y Melibea, ‘ this landmark of Spanish literature tells the tragic love story of Calisto and Melibea, whose fates are manipulated by the cunning matchmaker Celestina. A bridge between medieval tradition and modern literature, it offers a masterful portrayal of deeply human characters.

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One of the most beloved classics of Spanish literature, referred to by Miguel de Cervantes as a book, in my opinion, divine. Now available from Vintage Espaol.

When towards the end of the XV century a young law student at the University of Salamanca, SpainFernando de RojaswroteLa celestina, little did he know that he was creating a literary masterpiece, a work that would confer him immortality. For much of his life he kept a low profile because the Inquisition was relentless in its persecution of heretics. The least indiscretion could have caused him loss of reputation, property, and even his life. Humorous and ribald in its language,La celestina(known in English asThe Comedy of Calisto and Melibea) is a continuous dialogue between masters and servants. Through the characters dialogue much of the Spanish soul of those times has been revealed and learned, and by extension, of the human condition.

La celestinais considered to be one of the greatest works of all Spanish literature, and is usually regarded as marking the end of the medieval period and the beginning of the renaissance in Spanish literature.