- Vasco de Quiroga
Vasco de Quiroga (born ca. 1470 in
Madrigal de las Altas Torres , Castile, diedMarch 14 ,1565 inUruapan ) was the firstbishop ofMichoacán ,Mexico and one of the judges ("oidores") in the secondAudiencia that governedNew Spain fromJanuary 10 ,1531 toApril 16 ,1535 .Early career and appointment to the second Audiencia
Vasco de Quiroga was born into a noble family. He studied law and later theology. He became a lawyer in
Salamanca in 1515. He took holy orders late in life, but advanced rapidly in the church. He was a judge of the Chancellor's Court of Valladolid at the time of his appointment in 1530 as one of the oidores of the second Audiencia in New Spain.After the disaster of the first Audiencia, Emperor Charles V was determined to find officials of proven humanity and integrity for the second one. This he was able to do by soliciting the recommendations of the archbishop of Santiago, Juan Tavera. The president of this second Audiencia was Bishop
Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal , and the other members were Quiroga,Juan de Salmerón ,Alonso de Maldonado andFrancisco Ceinos . They began governing in Mexico City in 1531.As a member of the Audiencia
Quiroga founded the hospital-pueblo of
Santa Fe (Mexico City) , with his own money. This was his first attempt at building a Utopia on the model ofSir Thomas More . He converted many Indigenous to Christianity. He sat on the tribunal that ordered the bloody conquistador and president of the first Audiencia,Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán , be returned to Spain in chains, where he spent the rest of his life in prison. Quiroga and the other "oidores" of the second Audiencia also conducted the trial ofJuan Ortiz de Matienzo andDiego Delgadillo of the first Audiencia.When the newly conquered
Chichimec Indians of Michoacán rebelled in 1533, Quiroga was sent to that province as "visitador" (inspector). With his prudent and just measures, he soon pacified the rebels. Here he founded another hospital of Santa Fe, also on More's principles. Greatly influenced by More's socialist "Utopia ", Quiroga believed that applying its principles to the Indian population would be the best way to counteract the earlier depredations of Beltrán de Guzmán.In 1535 the second Audiencia turned over its governing powers to the first viceroy of New Spain,
Antonio de Mendoza .As bishop of Michoacán
On the emperor's nomination he became the first bishop of Michoacán in 1537. He remained in Michoacán as pastor and protector of the Indians for most of the remainder of his life.
As bishop, he transferred the seat of the bishopric from
Tzintzutzan toPatzcuaro . In Patzcuaro he founded the cathedral and the Seminary of San Nicolas. He worked to gather the Indians in large towns nearLake Pátzcuaro in the center ofTarascan territory, recently ravaged by Beltrán de Guzmán. UsingThomas More 's "Utopia" as a model, here the Indians were to be taught religion, crafts and the fundamentals of self-government. Each town was to become the center of an industry. Each person worked six hours a day and contributed on an equal basis to the common welfare. He gradually realized the necessity of restricting the scope of his plans, which he had hoped to apply throughout the colony, to the smaller area over which he had jurisdiction, partially because his personal funds were not unlimited.Bishop Quiroga's efforts were very successful, and he was said to be greatly beloved by the members of his flock. He was known to them as "Tata Vasco" (Father Vasco).
Charles V had prohibited the enslavement of conquered subjects, but in 1534 he revoked that prohibition, at least insofar as to allow slavery of natives captured in a "just war". When Quiroga became aware of this, he wrote to Charles his celebrated "Información en derecho" (1535), in which he strongly condemned the "encomenderos", saying that they did not accept the natives as men, but only as beasts. Quiroga passionately defended the Indians, arguing that they did not deserve the loss of liberty.
In 1545 Quiroga left for Spain to attend the
Council of Trent , but his ship was damaged and he was forced to return to New Spain. He left again in 1547 and did attend some sessions of the Council. He took several Indians with him and presented them at Court. While in Spain he was frequently called upon by the emperor and theCouncil of the Indies to give advice on colonial questions.He returned to New Spain in 1554. On his stopover in
Santo Domingo , he obtained banana seedlings, which he introduced into Michoacán. In 1555 he participated in the first provincial council of the Church.He died in 1565 in his 90's on a pastoral visit in Uruapan. His body is interred in the cathedral of Patzcuaro.
His legacy
The skills he implanted among
P'urhépecha s of the Pátzcuaro region have been passed down to their descendants, who are today considered among the most skilled craftspersons in Mexico. Tata Vasco trained his pupils in a variety of disciplines. His method of specialization by community continues to this day:Paracho produces guitars,Tzintzuntzán pottery,Santa Clara copper products andNurío woven woolens.There is a university named for him in
Morelia , Michoacán.Miguel Bernal Jiménez wrote an opera, "Tata Vasco", commemorating his fourth centenary. It premiered in Pátzcuaro in February, 1941.He is credited as the founder of the city of
Irapuato ,Mexico [Cite web | url=http://www.e-local.gob.mx/work/templates/enciclo/guanajuato/municipios/11017a.htm | title=Historia de Irapuato | work=Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México | accessdate=2007-03-22] .Writings
*"Doctrina para los Indios Chichimecos," in the Chichimec language. Mexico (1568).
*"Reglas y Ordenanzas para los Hospitales de Santa Fé de Mexico y de Michoacan," to which is appended a biography of the author. Mexico (1766).ee also
*
List of Viceroys of New Spain References
External links
* [http://www.mexconnect.com/mex_/history/jtuck/jtvascoquiroga.html Notes on a Practical Utopian]
*es icon [http://www.mexicodesconocido.com.mx/espanol/historia/personajes/detalle.cfm?idcat=1&idsec=5&idsub=0&idpag=1293 Short biography]
*es icon [http://www.edomexico.gob.mx/portalgem/identidad/civica/efemerides/TVasco.htm Short biography]
*es icon [http://serbal.pntic.mec.es/~cmunoz11/utopia1.html A description of his utopia]
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