Martínez de la Rosa, FranciscoMartínez de la Rosa, Francisco fränthēs´kō märtē´nĕth dā lä rō´sä [key], 1787–1862, Spanish dramatic poet, statesman, and historian. He was an outspoken liberal professor of philosophy, a deputy, and an ambassador. His major plays include La conjuración de Venecia [the conspiracy of Venice] (1834), a landmark of the romantic theater in Spain; Abén Humeya (in French, 1830, Span. tr. 1836) ; and the neoclassic Edipo [Oedipus] (1829). Among his poems the best known are the elegy entitled Epístola al duque de Frias and El recuerdo de la patria [memory of our country]. Martínez de la Rosa also wrote historical novels and political histories. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. See more Encyclopedia articles on: Spanish and Portuguese Literature: Biographies