Pedro Calderón de la Barca y Barreda González de Henao Ruiz de Blasco y Riaño, usually referred as
Pedro Calderón de la Barca (; 17 January 160025 May 1681), was a dramatist, poet and writer of the Spanish
Golden Age. During certain periods of his life he was also a soldier and a Roman Catholic priest. Born when the
Spanish Golden Age theatre was being defined by
Lope de Vega, he developed it further, his work being regarded as the culmination of the Spanish Baroque theatre. As such, he is regarded as one of Spain's foremost dramatists and one of the finest playwrights of world literature.