Legend has it
that when a French prince and an Italian princess were seated together on the Spanish throne, Jacinta, a young orphaned girl was locked, by her spinster aunt, in the Tower of the Infantas, once the prison of three beautiful Moorish princesses. Ruyz de Alarcon, a favorite page of the queen, discovered her with a beautiful rose (La Bella Rosa) tucked around her ear, and was smitten. Alas, his father thought the match unsuitable and the page departed.
Days, weeks, months elapsed, and nothing more was heard of the page. In the mean time, the poor little Jacinta grew pale and thoughtful and her eyes, once so bright, were dimmed with secret weeping.
At a late hour one midsummer night, Jacinta remained alone in the hall of the tower, seated beside the alabaster fountain where the page had first knelt and kissed her hand. Zorahayda, the princess who had died of a broken heart in the tower, visited Jacinta and dropped a silver lute at her feet, which Jacinta began to play soulfully. The enchanted lute was believed to control the most stubborn head and hardest heart. The extraordinary power of the lute became every day more and more apparent and rumor soon spread the news abroad. The lovely little minstrel was at length drawn forth from her retreat by the queen to play for the dying king. Her lovely refrains entered into the gloomy heart of the monarch and he sprang to life. There was great rejoicing and in the next moment, the Spani
The nuptials of the happy couple were celebrated soon afterwards with great splendor, and La Bella Rosa became the ornament and delight of the court.
** Wear La Bella Rosa and inspire your own legend. **
