author
Antonio de Solís
1610–1686
A leading voice of Spain’s late Baroque age, this writer moved with ease from the stage to the royal court and finally to history. He is best remembered today for a vivid account of the conquest of Mexico that remained widely read for generations.
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About the author
Born in Alcalá de Henares on July 18, 1610, Antonio de Solís y Ribadeneyra studied law at the University of Salamanca and began writing early. He became known first as a playwright and poet, part of the rich literary world of seventeenth-century Spain.
His career later brought him close to power. He served the Count of Oropesa and then Philip IV, eventually becoming Chronicler of the Indies. After taking holy orders, he turned away from writing for the theater and focused more on prose and historical work.
His best-known book is Historia de la conquista de México, published in 1684, a polished and influential account of Hernán Cortés and the fall of the Aztec Empire. Antonio de Solís died in Madrid on April 19, 1686, and is often remembered as one of the last major writers of the Spanish Baroque.