The Cantigas de Santa Maria: Power and Persuasion at the Alfonsine Court - Hardcoverby Henry T. Drummond (Author) Alfonso X (1221 84) ruled over the Crown of Castile from 1252 until his death. Known as "the Wise," he oversaw the production of a wealth of literature in his scriptorium. One of the most impressive of these literary outputs is the collection of songs known as the Cantigas de Santa Maria, which by most counts comprises 429 songs preserved in four manuscripts. The miracle songs (or cantigas de miragre) form the focus of