Biography.guide
Home › People › Psychologist › Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz
Portrait of Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz

Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz

1561 – 1632

Court physician

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz

Lived 1561 – 1632 (aged 70–71). Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz was a Spanish psychologist, writer and physician.

Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz (1561–1632) was the court physician in the royal courts of Philip III and Philip IV.

Antonio was also a university professor at the University of Valladolid and a clergyman. He was interested in lycanthropy, free will, and the role of love in causing madness.

He published his father Alonso's book Dignotio et cura affectuum melancholicorum (Diagnóstico y tratamiento de las afecciones de los melancólicos) about the diagnosis and treatment of melancholy posthumously in 1622. He published the first Spanish treatise on epilepsy in 1631, Praelections Valliosoletanae.

Some have suggested that Antonio was friendly with Miguel de Cervantes, given their mutual interests and similarities in the condition described in Cervantes' book El Licenciado Vidriera (the lawyer of glass), and those in Antonio's book on melancholy.

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1561
Birth century
Died
1632
Nationality

People in Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz?

Court physician

When was Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz born?

Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz was born in 1561.

When did Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz die?

Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz died in 1632.

What was Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz's occupation?

Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz was a psychologist, writer and physician.

What nationality was Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz?

Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz was Spanish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz

· Wikidata: Q3822105

· DBpedia: Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz. https://biography.guide/antonio-ponce-de-santa-cruz/

MLA: "Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/antonio-ponce-de-santa-cruz/.

Chicago: "Antonio Ponce de Santa Cruz." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/antonio-ponce-de-santa-cruz/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:06 UTC