Juan José Martí

Background

Juan José Martí was born about 1570, at Orihuela, Spain.

Education

Martí graduated as bachelor of canon law at Valencia in 1591, and in 1598 took his degree as doctor of canon law.

Career

Later Marti joined the Valencian Academia de los noclurnos, under the name of Atrevimiento, but is best known by another pseudonym, Mateo Luján de Sayavedra, under which he issued an apocryphal continuation (1602) of Alemán's Guzmán de Alfarache (1599). Marti obtained access to Alemán's unfinished manuscript, and stole some of his ideas; this dishonesty lends point to the sarcastic congratulations which Alemán, in the genuine sequel (1604) pays to his rival's sallies. Marti's book is clever, but the circumstances in which it was produced account for its cold reception and afford presumption that the best scenes are not original.

In the latter year he was appointed co-examiner in canon law at the University of Valencia, and held the post for six years. Juan José Martí died in Valencia, and was buried in Valencia Cathedral on December 22, 1604.

Achievements

• Juan José Martí was an acclaimed writer, who is credited with the authorship of the second apocryphal part of Guzmán de Alfarache (1602).

Membership

Juan José Martí was a member of the Valencian Academia de los noclurnos.