"El bufon Calabacilla", 1599 Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velazquez (1599-1660) Museo del Prado, Madrid, Spain

Some call the subject don Juan Calabazas, others as the Bobo de Coria (the fool of Coria), because he was mentally subnormal. During the XVI century, royal courts found entertainment in malformed and mal-developed servants. Note, however, that perhaps the story of "mental retardation" may be spurious, because Juan Calabazas was paid high wages. This unusual individual served the Cardenal-Infante don Fernando de Austria and later the King of Spain.