important characteristics in the book is the didactic-satiric line (as well as other books of the picaresque novel, as Lazarillo de Tormes conceived as a strong critic done by the humanists), because it unveils the moral decadence of Rome, and all the characters displayed — from the bishops to the villains — appear surrounded by a world of corruption, prostitution and violence. This makes the book an eloquent, realistic testimony of the manners and life in the Roman underworld from the years 1513 to 1524 and the ulterior attack by the imperial forces of Charles V in 1527 that led to the finalisation of the first period of the Renaissance. While the narration never gets to 1527, there are some clues that prophesy this end, which can be compared to the punishment of Babel for the Romans' sins: Pues «año de veinte e siete, deja a Roma y vete», says the author (Arrived the year of twenty-seven, leave Rome and go away), as a clear manifestation of the divine punishment for the bad actions (along with the dogma of remuneration in the Christian faith). The literary aspects in this book are the social description of characters as Lozana and Rampin, the defense of the Jews (in a historic moment when an intolerant attitude against them, as well as Muslims, had begun in Spain; also supported by the theory that makes Francisco Delicado a converso). With the occasional intervention of the author as a character (as in the earlier Cárcel de Amor (Prison of Love) by Diego de San Pedro), its narrative structure (divided in 3 parts and 66 mamotretos) goes on the line begun by Celestina and the narration constructed on the basis of dialogues: Lozana. Más gana tengo de dormir que de otra cosa Tía. Sobrino, cená con nosotros, en tanto que vo e la ayudo a desnudar Rampín. Señora, sí. (Lozana. I would prefer to sleep rather than anything else Aunt. Nephew, have dinner with us, while I go and help her to undress Rampin. Yes, my lady). The scatological and sexual elements prevail during the narration: there are descriptions of a ménage à trois; an episode in which Rampin gets covered from head to foot in excrement after falling in a latrine; and other uninhibited allusions to the reconstruction of hymen, and procreation. It gives one of the testimonies about syphilis as a plague in the first