Los Amantes de Teruel: Drama en cuatro actos en verso y prosa

The old city of Teruel, founded by the Aragonese in the latter half of the twelfth century at the junction of the Guadalaviar and the Alfambra as a stronghold in the territory recently recovered from the Moors, was the fitting scene for the action of the legendÉ. The pioneer life of the city, the depth of sentiment and singleness of purpose of its Aragonese inhabitants, the crusading spirit that carried to victory the armies of Peter II of Arag—n and his more famous son, James the Conqueror, lend probability to a legend that would ordinarily be considered highly improbable from the point of view of historical authenticity.

Stripped of the fantastic details that have gathered about it in the many literary treatments given to it by Spanish writers, the legend may be briefly told. In Teruel, at the beginning of the thirteenth century, lived Juan Diego Mart’nez GarcŽs de Marsilla and Isabel de Segura. They had loved each other from childhood, but when it became a question of marriage, Isabel's father opposed the union because of the young man's lack of material resources and because a wealthy suitor, Rodrigo de Azagra, had presented himself for the hand of his daughter.

All that the entreaties of the lovers could gain from him was the promise that if Marsilla went to the wars, gained fame and riches, and returned before a certain day, he would receive Isabel in marriage. This Marsilla did; but unfortunately he was unable to return until just after the expiration of the time set. When he reached Teruel, he found Isabel married to the wealthy rival.

Disappointed in their hopes after so many years of constant love and continual struggle against adversity, Marsilla died of grief, and Isabel soon followed him; separated in life by cruel fate, they were united in death. Buried in the same tomb, they were later disinterred, and their mummified remains may now be seen in the old church of San Pedro in Teruel.

#II. Authenticity of the Legend#. The earliest references that have yet been found to the legend belong to the middle of the sixteenth century, that is, more than three centuries after the supposed death of the lovers. In 1555, when the church of San Pedro in Teruel was undergoing some repairs, two bodies, supposedly those of Marsilla and Isabel, were discovered in one tomb in a remarkably good state of preservation.

They were reburied at the foot of the altar in the chapel of Saints Cosme and Damian, and the story of the unfortunate lovers began to spread far and wide. By the end of the century it was apparently widely known and attracted considerable attention to the old city of Teruel. When Philip III of Spain was journeying to Valencia in 1599 he was induced to turn aside to visit the church of San Pedro.

In the official account of his journey, "Jornada de Su Majestad Felipe III y Alteza la Infanta Do–a Isabel, desde Madrid, a casarse el Rey con la Reyna Do–a Margarita, y su Alteza con el Archiduque Alberto," the story of the legend as then generally accepted is related so succinctly that it may well be quoted here: "En la iglesia de San Pedro, en la capilla de San Cosme y San Dami‡n, de la dicha ciudad, est‡ la sepultura de los Amantes que llaman de Teruel; y dicen eran un mancebo y una doncella que se quer’an mucho, ella rica y Žl al contrario; y como Žl pidiese por mujer la doncella y por ser pobre no se la diesen, se determin— a ir por el mundo a adquerir hacienda y ella aguardarle ciertos a–os, al cabo de los cuales y dos o tres d’as m‡s, volvi— rico y hall— que aquella noche se casaba la doncella.

Tuvo trazas de meterse debajo de su cama y a media noche le pidi— un abrazo, d‡ndose a conocer; ella le dijo que no pod’a por no ser ya suya, y Žl muri— luego al punto. Llev‡ronle a enterrar, y ella fuŽ al entierro, y cuando le quer’an echar en la sepultura, se arrim— a la ataœd y qued— all’ muerta; y as’ los enterraron juntos en una sepultura, sabido el caso.

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