Resumen de Villegas’ Deviation in the Compositional Criteria of His Flos sanctorum
Fernando Baños examines the consistency of the criteria adopted by the most representative “counter-reformist” hagiographer in the Spanish language, Alonso de Villegas. In 1578 he published the first part of his Flos sanctorum, which he describes as “reformed”, that is, carried out ‘according to the Catholic reform’, and “conformed to the Roman Breviary”. From the outset, the first volume showed certain contradictions, but to fully illustrate the extent of Villegas’ deviation from his own initial criteria, Baños compares his preliminary statements in the First part of the Flos sanctorum to those in the Third part (1588), and examines the main section of the latter, which features saints not present in the Roman Breviary. What is truly shocking is that the Third part contains an extra section listing characters who were not canonized, but who, according to Villegas, are “illustrious in virtue”. The most striking case is that Villegas presents the assassin of the Prince of Orange as a new martyr. Baños also considers seven other lay characters who were not canonised at that time. Despite Villegas’ deviation from his initial criteria, he maintains the basic Catholic principle and opposed to the Protestant position: all these lives are examples that salvation is earned through good works and constant struggle.
