ADSactly Culture - Impossible Loves: Teruel's Lovers
Impossible Loves: Teruel's Lovers
If there is a moving story that we should all know, it is the story of The Lovers of Teruel. This story, which some have it as a legend, but others as real, has not only inspired films and series, but also paintings and poems. Beyond the doubt that these two characters really existed and that the story happened in the way that has been transmitted through time, today we are going to know it and we will draw our own conclusions. Come with me:
The story of The Lovers of Teruel has its origin in the thirteenth century and tells the love story between two young Teruel, Isabel de Segura and Juan Martinez de Marcilla (also known as Diego de Marcilla). It is said that they met in the market and that it was love at first sight. Since childhood their love manifested, so much so that Juan de Marcilla expresses to Isabel his desire to marry and she corresponds his feelings. At that moment they promised to marry one day, but Isabel told him that first her father had to give her permission. We must say that Juan was from a very modest family, although with a surname, and Isabel was the daughter of a very important merchant.
In 1212, Juan, having grown up, went to see Pedro de Segura, father of the young Isabel, to ask for his daughter's hand in a gesture that normally meant an honour for any father who had a daughter who was a matchmaker. But unfortunately this time it did not turn out that way: the father did not give Juan permission to marry Isabel. Let us remember that Isabel had said that in order to marry Juan, the father had to agree to his marriage. In other words...
In this part of the story there is speculation and it is said that perhaps Don Pedro had already seen a better option in another nobleman, or if his fondness for money was far superior to any other consideration; the truth is that he did not dare to snub a member of a family that, although it had lost its fortune, had so much prestige in Teruel; so Pedro made the following statement to the suitor: "I give you five years to earn a fortune with which you can support my daughter; if you get it you will have my permission to marry her".
It is said that since that year King Peter II was recruiting troops to go to the crusade against the Almohads, Juan said goodbye to his girlfriend and marched swiftly to Zaragoza and she promised him that she would wait for him.
History says that the years passed, and Isabel's wait became eternal, especially if we consider that at that time there was no internet or smart phones and especially women were married very young. Well, without mentioning that her father was raising her to get married as soon as possible.
It is then that when she was long into the fourth year, and without hearing from Juan in his quest for wealth, she engaged with another nobleman believing that her beloved had died. This time, Isabel and her father, a little ambitious, chose the rich and elegant: Pedro Fernández de Azagra. Isabel's father, Pedro de Segura, aware that he had to fulfill the given word, set the wedding date as the same day that the deadline given to Juan de Marcilla was fulfilled.
Some historians say that Juan was delayed because while he was in the war he was seduced by one of the wives of the Emir of Valencia, Zulima, who, seeing that Juan despised her, does everything possible to prevent Juan from meeting his beloved Isabel again. Nowhere do they tell us what manoeuvres Zulima used to stop Marcilla.
The same day of the wedding a knight full of great wealth arrives to Teruel and it was the knight, Juan de Marcilla who had returned with sufficient fortune to marry his Isabel. So it makes its appearance in full celebration and causes an enormous uproar among the families of the bride and groom. It is not known how, but Juan Marcilla managed to talk to Isabel alone. At some point in the conversation full of complaints that he had not expected it, Juan begged her to give one last kiss to which she, already married, refused.
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It is said that it was so much pain and anger in Juan that he fell senselessly to the ground and died on the spot. Sadness had broken his heart.. It must be said that in some passages of history is reproduced the dialogue between Isabel and Juan, and it is said that he told her: Kiss me, I die; and she refused to miss his role as wife, and he said again: Kiss me, I die, and that's when he fell: dead ...
The Marcilla family took charge of the body and prepared, for the following day, a funeral of the present body. Before beginning this ceremony that the family had prepared, Isabel, dressed in her wedding dress, approached and gave the corpse the kiss on the mouth that had denied Juan and for which he had died. Then, after giving her the kiss, she fell unconscious to the ground; as some of those present approached, they found that Isabel had also died.
When they realized that they had died of love, they decided to bury them in the same grave so that they would remain together forever and still remain to this day.
The fact is that if on 14 or 15 February they are in Teruel, Spain, they attend the celebrations held every year by the inhabitants of the city on the occasion of the Wedding of Isabel de Segura, an extraordinary and festive event, or they can attend the Mausoleum of the Lovers where the work of the sculptor Juan de Ávalos is found.
I hope you liked this post and that it serves as general information. Remember to vote for @adsactly as witnesses and join our server in discord. Until the next smile. ;D
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES
https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_amantes_de_Teruel
https://elretohistorico.com/amantes-teruel/
http://www.amantesdeteruel.es/quever_mausoleo.php
Written by @nancybriti
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This post has received a 20.00% upvote from @jmiller05!
Why are the loves of literature so tragic? I didn't know this story, although I had seen the sculpture in some photos. I read and remembered Romeo and Juliet! When it's not the family, it's the money or society that gets involved and impedes relationships. That last part seems an exaggeration to me! How can a person die of love? I'll keep an eye out for the next deliveries. Thank you for sharing!
Hahahaha. Yes, some loves of literature can be exaggerated, but as they say, this story is real. I imagine that Juan did not necessarily die because of love, perhaps his heart could not stand anger or sadness and perhaps he had a fulminant heart attack. The same would happen to Isabel, who would die of pain and sadness. Thank you for your sincere comment and thank you for being attentive, @nonechangeles!
I remember when I was a student I heard about this story and it seemed so tragic! The lovers of Teruel are the Spanish Romeo and Juliet. As far as I know, the people of Teruel have known how to exploit this history in tourism, so much so that in the museum where the lovers are buried, there are guided tours, souvenir sales and even a play telling the events. If it wasn't true, at least history has been true through time. Thank you for this story!
Yes, I've read about it. That's why I say that if you go to Teruel on the 14th and 15th of February you're going to find a whole holiday. The whole town is decorated like it was in the 13th century and the people dress in a traditional way. They make competitions and theatrical representations. Quite a spectacle! Thank you for commenting.
Wow, interesting story indeed. it's really saddens my heart to know that I'm experiencing an impossible love. Well, it truly happens and this your story is quite a very good example. You could see that the parent where actually the walls between Isabel and Juan, after giving him some task to carry which seemed impossible to them, then later went to hand over Isabel to someone else. Really does it sounds right. Even if they were to give out Isabel, wasn't it supposed to be after the deadline?, now they had paid for their mistakes by killing both lovers.
Yes, the father's attitude was perhaps not the best: I imagine that much of his behavior has to do with the social patterns that existed at the time! This is one of those impossible love stories that can be repeated in time. Thank you for always commenting, @lilkeszi!
The story of The Lovers of Teruel is really moving and very romantic. We read another chapter with a sad ending in the story of loves. Juan did everything in his power to be with his beloved Isabel and suffered the disappointment of not finding her for him, on his return, after having passed who knows how many cuitas. I do not understand the forms of love in those times, it was not a free love, it was tied to so many precepts and prejudices that it was rather exhausting. Love must be lived to the full, in freedom, I am glad that things have changed for the most part, although we know that in some cultures such marriage agreements still exist. Few are fulfilled at will and many for convenience. It is true that the theme of love and lack of love has inspired works of literature, painting and poetry, also in music there are many examples. Now comes to my memory a song sung by Jose Luis Perales that I like very much "Dying of love", I know you will also like, @nancybriti. Thank you for this publication and I hope to know more about these stories from your hand. Thanks to @adsactly for sharing it.
I agree with you, @aurodivys! Love is a feeling, which as far as possible, should have no obstacles or conditions. Too bad, as you say, there are still cultures where marriage is an economic contract between families. As for the arts and love, I'm thinking of making a post about music and lovelessness. I hope you can enjoy it. Greetings and thank you for commenting
Awwwn love love love... It starts very well, but something must make it sour.
They loved each other, i believe one of the reason the father wanted him to make money was the reason he didnt want his daughter to suffer. But that was the beginning of the problem, he had to go out to look for how to be wealthy in other to marry the love of his life. She waited for him too, it was her fault but she couldn't keep waiting forever she had to get married, while in the other land he was caged by someone who loves him, what an irony.
The tragedy, when they both met it was a sad event. Death had to be what finally bonded them. Has there ever been a love story that ends well?
Thank God, Yes, many! Only perhaps the most interesting are the stories of loves that could not have occurred. The fact that they, at least after death, were able to unite is a symbol of hope. Love is not always bad; sometimes it gives us a moment of infinite happiness. Thank you for always commenting, @bosscharlze.
Another emotional story of those truncated loves, very well presented by you, @nancybriti. It is a historical case enriched by the imagination of the population of the time, certainly. By the way, it's a story that has been versioned in theatre (musical opera) and cinema. The real stories that impact in their moment, create a certain legendary wake, which makes the truth confused with what was invented. In short, chroniclers, novelists, playwrights or simply popular imagination recreate these cases, generally marked by misunderstanding, prejudice, misfortune, injustice, etc., and turn them into stories that transcend their time and geography. Fictional literature is full of many examples.
The story of the lovers of Teruel has the particularity that the one who dies first is the male; and also the symbolization of the kiss as a provocative element of farewell and reunion through death.
Thanks for your post, as well as @adsactly for its promotion.
Oh, I love that detail you point out at the end of your comment, @josemalavem! The kiss has inspired all literary genres and artistic expressions. Your comment just gave me an idea of how much has been said about this demonstration of love in poetry, I think I'll post about that. Thanks for the idea. Greetings
I think,,this is the real love...