Pedro González | |
|---|---|
 Pedro González, painting c. 1580 (Ambras Collection) | |
| Born | Pedro González c. 1537 |
| Died | c. 1618 Capodimonte |
| Occupation | Courtier |
| Years active | 1547–1618 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Madeleine Enrique Françoise Antonietta Horacio Ercole |
Petrus Gonsalvus (Spanish:Pedro González;c. 1537,Tenerife –c. 1618, Capodimonte) was agentleman in the court ofHenry II of France.
Referred to byUlisse Aldrovandi as "the man of the woods",[1] he was notable for his unusual hairiness, which attracted attention throughout his life (and beyond, especially as most of his children inherited his condition). This interest came both from doctors — being considered the first definitely recorded case ofhypertrichosis (at least in Europe) — as well as from society at large (including high society, where he spent much time), with him acquiring such nicknames as the "wild gentleman of Tenerife" (Spanish:salvaje gentilhombre de Tenerife) and the "Canarian werewolf" (hombre lobo canario). His life at various courts in France and Italy has been well chronicled.
Gonsalvus was born around 1537 in Tenerife, shortly after the conquest of the island byAlonso Fernández de Lugo. OfGuanche heritage, he was deemed worthy of theDon honorific later in his life on account of his supposed parental descent from themenceys of Tenerife.[2]
Gonsalvus first came to the court ofHenry II, King of France in 1547 at the age of around 10, and was sent there as a gift from the court ofMargaret of Parma, regent of the Netherlands.[2] He married while there; the name of his wife remains unknown, but it is believed she was named Catherine Raffelin[3] and that she may have been a lady-in-waiting toCatherine de' Medici. Later, he was moved into the court ofAlexander Farnese, Duke of Parma. Of his six children, only two — Françoise and Enrico — did not have hypertrichosis.[citation needed] The ones who did — such asAntonietta Gonsalvus — were also the subject of attention, including paintings.[4] His family became an object of medical inquiry by Ulisse Aldrovandi among others. Despite living and acting as nobles, Gonsalvus and his hairy children were not considered fully human in the eyes of their contemporaries and were gifted, like their father was, to other nobles as a sort of court pet. Gonsalvus eventually settled in Italy with his wife.
He was listed among those who had attended his grandson's christening in 1617. He died in 1618 in Capodimonte. He was 81 years old.[citation needed]
TheChamber of Art and Curiosities, Ambras Castle collection inInnsbruck, Austria has a painting of Pedro González (Petrus Gonsalvus) as well as other people who display an extreme form ofhirsutism, also calledAmbras syndrome orhypertrichosis in 1933 in reference to its depiction at this collection.[5]
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It is believed the marriage between Petrus Gonsalvus and Lady Catherine may have partially inspired the fairy taleBeauty and the Beast.[6][7]
Media related toPedro Gonsalvus at Wikimedia Commons| International | |
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