Nuevos Jerezanos Bizarros de Ayer y Siempre 2 - The End (Pages 93 - end)

 

RATING: VERY GOOD

Hernan Riquel is about the man who built the Palace of Riquelme in Mercado Square. The palace was built by the Riquelme family as a display of power in the face of rivalry from other families from Jerez during the Middle Ages. For this reason, they chose the main square of medieval Jerez following the Reconquista, and it was designed in an advanced style, breaking the mold of traditional medieval architecture in Jerez.

In the book it is said that Hernan Riquel borrowed money from Alonso Pérez de Guzmán, the Duke of Medina-Sidonia. Alonso Pérez de Guzmán (1256–1309), known as Guzmán el Bueno ("Guzmán the Good"), was a Spanish nobleman and hero of Spain during the medieval period. Guzmán is the progenitor of the Dukes of Medina Sidonia, the oldest extant dukedom in the Kingdom of Castile.

Juana de Melgarejo was born near the Church of San Juan de los Caballeros. She moved to Granada and was a friend of Mariana Pineda. When Mariana Pineda was arrested and executed, Juana returned to Jerez. Mariana de Pineda y Muñoz, generally known as Mariana Pineda, (1 September 1804 in Granada – 26 May 1831 in Granada) was a Spanish liberalist heroine. May 26th, the anniversary of her execution, is a local holiday in the city of Granada. Mariana joined the liberal cause, and after the restoration of absolutism under Ferdinand VII in 1823, she welcomed persecuted liberals into her home. 

Then Juana became anticlerical and went against anything Church-related. He vandalised churches, and she went against the Brotherhood of San Telmo, threatening to blow up the church. 

Francisco de Paula Marin joined the army, but for some reason he deserted and went to Hawaii. There he served King Kamehamha, who favoured him, and Francisco, known as Manini, used this to enrich himself, which created many enemies. When the king died, she lost favour with the new king, and he lost everything
Don Francisco de Paula Marín (25 November 1774 – 30 October 1837) was a Spaniard who became influential in the early Kingdom of Hawaii. Often called Manini, Marini or other variations, he became a confidant of Hawaiian King Kamehameha I.

Micaela Revueltas was the daughter of Dr Revueltas y Montiel. The doctor sent his daughter to study in England, where she acquired liberal ideas. Back in Jerez, after her father died, Micaela saw the injustice that poor women suffered. She tried to help with her views, but there was a woman Angustias de Gotía, who went against her, and came up with a song that has reached our days, which mocked Micaela. The son spread and soiled the woman's reputation, and she had to return to England. 

Doctor Francisco Revueltas y Montiel (1839–1887) was an illustrious 19th-century surgeon and gynecologist from Jerez, also recognized for his work as mayor of the city during the First Republic and for defending the hygienic and therapeutic properties of Sherry wine.

Maese Ortuño Ximénez was born in Bilbao and he took the profession of stonemason. He was very good but he had a bad character. In Jerez he worked for Pedro Fernández de la Zarza, the architect of the Cartuja Bridge and the Church of St Miguel. 

He then went to America and served Hernan Cortés. Ximénez was the pilot of a ship, the Concepción, sent by Hernán Cortés and captained by Diego de Becerra. During the voyage, Ximénez led a revolt in which the captain was killed. The mutineers then landed near present-day La Paz, on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula, which the mutineers believed to be the Island of California. Ximénez was killed in a clash with the local natives. 

Piti, the Witch, was born in 1490. Her name was María and was raised by her aunts, who were midwives. When she grew up, she became a midwife as well, but she hated to see the women in pain. So she studied herbs and remedies, and she came up with a remedy that ease the pain. That was seen as something strange, and she was accused of witchcraft and black magic. She fled to Trebujena because the Inquisition was after her. Yet, the same happened, and Piti was burned at the stake.

The next narration is about Nolasco Mouse. It refers to the mouse that in Gonzalez Byass is seen climb a small ladder to a glass of sherry. In this narration the mouse tells us about how it was outlaw to have mice drunk. So the mouse had to find his own way, but whenever he went he was turned down.