jun.anteola

I’ve been displaced from my tv habit on prime time, thanks to the womenfolk at home. Until about 11:00 o’clock, they hog the set, switching from one channel to another and often delaying meal time as dinner is usually prepared WHILE watching these Tagalog and Korean “teleseryes”. How I wish I could cook properly. I would if I have to, but only if they’d refrain from behaving like quality control.

Anyway, here’s the story on the Lovers of Teruel, which I found via neatorama.

“In the city there were two important and wealthy families, Marcilla and Segura. Diego was a Marcilla and Isabel a Segura. The two were in love as childhood playmates but when they were both at an eligible age to wed, Diego’s family had fallen on hard times. Isabel’s father, being the most wealthy in all of Teruel, forbade the marriage. Diego, however, was able to make an agreement with the father in which he would leave Teruel for five years to try and build his fortune. If Diego was able to gain wealth within those five years he would be able to marry his love, Isabel. Diego was not heard from in five years and so on the day of the five years’ close Isabel’s father married her to Don Pedro de Azagra from Albarracín. Right after the wedding ceremony there was a commotion at the Zaragoza gate. The watchmen informed the village that Diego Marcilla had returned with great riches and with the intent of marrying Isabel. Diego had not counted the day in which he petitioned Isabel’s father whereas the Seguras had. Diego ran to the feet of Isabel and pleaded with her to marry him. Isabel refused, for it was impossible; she had already wed. Then Diego pleaded for just one kiss so that at least he could go on in the world, and this request Isabel refused. Upon hearing this Diego could not bear the separation between himself and his love, and with a sigh he died on the feet of his beloved Isabel. The next day, during the funeral for Diego Marcilla, Isabel showed up dressed in her wedding dress. She proceeded to walk to the front of the church and place a kiss on the man whom she had refused but in doing so Isabel died, falling prostrate on the body of the man whom she loved.” (wikipedia)

This should place it among the ranks of Romeo & Juliet, Tristan & Isolde, and other quintessential romances I’ve come across (oooh, why IS love sweeter when it’s not meant to be?). But what sets it apart from the rest is that the story is alleged to be true, and that the remains of both were later exhumed and the story further immortalized by putting these in exquisite marble tombs quite close to, but not touching(for religious reasons) each other.

photo from Curr_En at flickr