The Portrait of Lozana: The Lusty Andalusian Woman, a Roman à Clef

Abstract

The extant copy of the only edition of Retrato de la Lozana Andaluza (Portrait of Lozana: The Lusty Andalusian Woman), discovered in the 19^th century, is kept at the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek. The novel in the form of dialogue, with a prostitute in the leading role, has been widely edited and studied over the past years, but scholars have disagreed on the interpretation of many obscure and incomprehensible passages. This article argues that the novel is a roman à clef, and that its surface of a brothel novel hides a series of pasquinades against the kings, popes, cardinals and rulers that converged in the Italian politics of the late 15^th century and the three first decades of the 16^th century. The article unveils the identity of some of the novel's characters, and connects the novel with the literary tradition of Lucian's dialogue The Cock and the transmigration of souls, which Erasmists revived. Under this light, it is possible to understand Francisco Delicado's literary game, who transmigrated the soul of the Gran Capitán Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba himself into the Lozana Andaluza to construct his protagonist.

Key words: Roman à clef, pasquinade, transmigration of souls, Lucian’s dialogue; Italian politics (1492‒1530), Gran Capitán.