Don Juan Manuel

Don Juan Manuel (1282–1348), Prince of Villena, was a grandson of Ferdinand III and nephew of Alfonso X of Castile. One of the richest and most powerful men of his time, he coined his own money like a king, negotiated with Aragon's James II for Queen Mother María de Molina in 1304, and later tutored the young Alfonso XI.

When Alfonso imprisoned his daughter Constanza at Toro, he rebelled, allying with Granada and Aragon. He escaped the siege at Garci-Nuñez in 1336 and fought on from exile until 1338. A reconciliation brokered by the pope was complete only in 1340, when he fought beside the king at Río Salado and Algeciras.

He retired to write El conde Lucanor, a celebrated story collection that some thought beneath his rank. He died in 1348.