Don Carlos

Born July 8, 1545, in Valladolid; died July 14, 1568, in Madrid. Heir to the Spanish throne, son of Philip II.

On bad terms with his father, Don Carlos planned to flee Spain but was arrested in 1568 by Philip. He died while in prison. His fate has served as the subject for a number of legends and works of literature, including V. Alfieri’s tragedy Philip and F. von Schiller’s Don Carlos. In the 19th century the opera Don Carlos was composed by G. Verdi on the theme.