Gonzalo (or, as he wrote it,
Gonçalvo) was a cleric, originating in Berceo, La Rioja, Spain, and active during the first half of the thirteenth century. From his presence as witness in a range of documents of sale and donation, we know he was a deacon there by 1221. If canonical stipulations were followed, his being a deacon then would provide the latest date for his birth as 1198, although it was probably much earlier. Gonzalo was ordained by 1237, and, five years later, his brother was serving as priest in the same church.
Gonzalo died between 1252 and 1264, probably before 1260. He is celebrated as one of the earliest vernacular poets of the Peninsula; all his work is composed in cuaderna vía (“the four-fold way”, referring to the form’s monorrhymed stanzas of, overwhelmingly,
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Citation: Lappin, Anthony J.. "Gonzalo de Berceo". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 12 June 2018 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=14023, accessed 07 November 2024.]