Martí Joan de Galba
A 15th-century Valencian author, Martí Joan de Galba is best known for his disputed role in completing or editing the classic Catalan chivalric romance Tirant lo Blanch.
- Lived
- ?–1490
- Nationality
- Valencian
- Notable works
- Tirant lo Blanch
Martí Joan de Galba (died 1490) was a Valencian writer and editor best known for his association with the landmark Catalan-language chivalric romance Tirant lo Blanch. Following the death of his friend, the knight and author Joanot Martorell, Galba took possession of the unfinished manuscript of this epic work. He worked on the text to prepare it for publication, which eventually occurred in Valencia in 1490, printed by Nicolás Spindeler shortly after Galba's own death.\n\nThe exact nature and extent of Galba's contributions to Tirant lo Blanch remain a subject of significant debate among literary historians. While he has historically been credited as a co-author who completed the final portions of the book, some modern philologists, such as Joan Coromines, argue that his role was far more limited. Coromines suggests Galba acted primarily as a copy editor whose main contribution was dividing the narrative into chapters. Conversely, translator David H. Rosenthal notes a distinct stylistic consistency in the sections attributed to Galba, highlighting his familiarity with John Mandeville's Travels and specific geographical place-names. Other researchers have proposed that contemporary writer Joan Roís de Corella may have actually written any major substantive additions to Martorell's original manuscript.
No series yet.