SAAVEDRA, Angel de, Duke of Rivas (1791-1865), Spanish poet and politician, was born at Cordova in 1791, and fought with bravery in the Spanish War of Independence. From 1813 to 1820 he lived in retirement in Andalucia, but in the latter year he sided actively with the revolutionary party, and in consequence had to go into exile in 1823. He lived successively in England, Malta, and France until 1834, when he received permission to return to Spain, shortly afterwards succeeding his brother as duke of Rivas. In 1836 he became minister of the interior under Isturiz, and along with his chief had again to leave the country. Having returned with Maria Christina in 1844, he again held a portfolio for a short time in 1854; and during the last two decades of his life he was ambassador at Naples, Paris, and Florence for considerable periods. He died in 1865.

In 1813 he published Ensayos poeticos, and between that date and his first exile several tragedies of his composition [Aliatar, 1814; El Duque d' Aquitania, 1814; Lanuza, 1822) were put upon the stage. Tanto vales quanto ticncs, a comedy, appeared in 1834, Don Alvaro, a tragedy, in 1835, and two other dramatic compositions in 1842. Saavedra was also the author of El Moro Exposito, a narrative poem in ballad metre (two volumes), and Florinda, an epic romance.

SAAVEDRA, Miguel de Cervantes. See Cervantes.

SAAVEDRA FAXARDO, Diego de (1584-1648), diplomatist and man of letters, was born of a noble family at Algezares in the Spanish province of Murcia in 1584. Having been educated for the church at Salamanca, and admitted to the priesthood, he accompanied Cardinal Borgia, the Spanish ambassador, to Rome in the capacity of secretary. Ultimately he rose to high rank in the diplomatic service, and was Spanish plenipotentiary at Ratisbon in 1636 and at Münster in 1645. He was nominated to the supreme council of the Indies in 1646, but not long afterwards retired to a monastery, where he died in 1648.

In 1640 he published a treatise entitled Empresas politicas, ό idea de un principe politico cristiano representado en cien empresas, a hundred short essays, in which he discusses the education of a prince, his relation and duties to those around him, and so forth, primarily intended for and dedicated to the son of Philip IV. It is sententious in style and characterized by the curious learning of the time, and is still read and admired in Spain. It passed through a number of editions and was translated into several languages, the English version being by Astry (2 vols., 8vo, London, 1700). An unfinished historical work entitled Corona Gotica, Castellana, y Austriaca politicamente Uustrada, appeared in 1646. Another work by Saavedra, only second in popularity to the Empresas, his Republica Literaria, was published posthumously in 1670; it discusses in a somewhat mocking tone some of the leading characters in the ancient and modern world of letters. Collected editions of his works appeared at Antwerp in 1677-78, and again at Madrid in 1789-90; see also vol. xxv. of the Bibl. de Aut. Esp. (1853).