Spanish poet and court chronicler who observed firsthand the happenings of his time and, unlike earlier chroniclers, recorded them objectively. His Crónicas (standard ed., 1779–80) are marked by this personal observation and vivid expression, making them among the first great Spanish histories.

Ayala had a long and distinguished civil career under four Castilian monarchs, Peter I, Henry II, John I, and Henry III. Holding such posts as captain of the Castilian fleet (1359), ambassador to France (1379–80 and 1395–96), and royal chancellor of Castile (1398 until his death), he spent his lifetime in close association with leading men and events. As a poet, he is chiefly remembered for his Rimado de palacio (c. 1400), one of the last works in cuaderna vía (Spanish narrative verse form consisting of 4-line stanzas, each line having 14 syllables and identical rhyme), an autobiographical satire on contemporary society. Ayala's translations from Livy, Boccaccio, and others gave him a reputation as the first Castilian humanist.