José Manso de Velasco, 1st Count of Superunda
The Count of Superunda | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Manso de Velasco asViceroy of Peru,1746 | |
| 30thViceroy of Peru | |
| In office December 15, 1745 – October 12, 1761 | |
| Monarch | Ferdinand VI |
| Prime Minister | Marquis of Ensenada |
| Preceded by | José Antonio de Mendoza |
| Succeeded by | Manuel de Amat |
| Royal Governor of Chile | |
| In office November 15, 1737 – June 1744 | |
| Monarch | Philip V |
| Preceded by | Manuel de Salamanca |
| Succeeded by | Francisco José de Ovando |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 10, 1689 Torrecilla en Cameros,Spain |
| Died | January 5, 1767(aged 77) Priego de Córdoba,Spain |
| Children | Diego Manso de Velasco |
| Profession | Brigadier General |
José Antonio Manso de Velasco y Sánchez de Samaniego,KOS(Spanish:José Antonio Manso de Velasco y Sánchez de Samaniego, primer Conde de Superunda) (May 10, 1689 – Jan 5, 1767) was a Spanish soldier and politician who served asgovernor of Chileandviceroy of Peru.
As Governor of Chile[edit]
Manso de Velasco served as governor of Chile from November 1737 to June 1744, during which time he stood out for his numerous projects. His tenure saw the construction of the first public food market inSantiago,irrigation canals on theMaipo Riveras well as breakwaters on theMapocho River,the rebuilding ofValdivia(destroyed by an earthquake), and the celebration of an armistice with the indigenousMapuche people,signed in the "Parlement of Tapihue".
In addition, he founded a large number of Chilean cities listed here with their current names, their given names, and their date of founding:
- Cauquenes(Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes), 1742
- Copiapó(San Francisco de la Selva), 1744
- Curicó(San José de Buena Vista), 1743
- Melipilla(San José de Logroño), 1742
- Rancagua(Santa Cruz de Triana), 1743
- San Felipe,1740
- San Fernando(San Fernando de Tinguiririca), 1742
- Talca(San Agustín de Talca), 1742
His efficiency and diligence recommended him to a higher post, andFerdinand VInamed him viceroy of Peru in 1745, making him the first governor of Chile to be elevated in such a manner.[clarification needed]
As Viceroy of Peru[edit]
Manso de Velasco was the viceroy of Peru during the reign ofFerdinand VIof theHouse of Bourbon,holding the office from 1745 to October 12, 1761. He succeededJosé Antonio de Mendoza, 3rd Marquis of Villagarcíaand was replaced byManuel de Amat y Juniet.The most important event of his tenure was thegreat earthquake of 1746.
Lima earthquake[edit]
On October 28, 1746 at around 10:30 at night, a major earthquake struckLimaand vicinity, resulting in one of the highest number of deaths for such an event in the area. Witnesses differ on the duration of the event, with reports ranging from 3 to 6 minutes. The intensity of the quake is today estimated at X or XI on theMercalli intensity scale.Theaftershocks,by the hundreds, continued for the following two months.
In Lima, the destruction was severe. Of 60,000 inhabitants, 1,141 were reported to have died. Only 25 houses remained standing. InCallao,atsunamiof nearly 17 meters in height penetrated up to 5 kilometers inland leaving only 200 survivors out of a population of 5,000. The fact that the earthquake struck at night probably contributed to the casualties, as many people were caught asleep in their homes. In the wake of the disaster, the population was gripped by hunger and fear.
As a result of this earthquake, building practices were modified, with theadobestyle abandoned for quincha (wattle and daub) construction techniques, which resulted in more flexible structures that were more resistant to disruptive seismic activity.
On February 10, 1747 he founded the city ofBellavista.[1]On May 30, 1755 the cathedral of Lima was begun.
Last days[edit]
The aged and tired Manso de Velasco asked for permission to return to Spain for his retirement, and received a positive answer from the crown in 1761. However, his trip home took him through the port ofHavanain the then-Captaincy General of Cuba,just at a time when the colony wasunder siege.The British laid siege to the port, and Manso de Velasco, nominally the highest-ranking military officer in the area, found himself named the "Chief of the War Council" by the Governor of Cuba. Thus, at age 74, he led the defense of the fortified city. Unfortunately, the troops under his command were poorly trained and their equipment was inferior, leading to a Spanish surrender after only 67 days.
Captured by the British, he was eventually brought toCadizin Spain. Due to his position as "Chief of the War Council", he was imprisoned inMadridand tried by acourt-martialpresided over bythe Count of Aranda.He and other accused chiefs were held responsible for the inglorious defeat in Cuba by this court-martial.[2]Charles III,King of Spain,ratified the sentences on March 4, 1765 ending the process. The sentences were not lenient, Manso de Velasco was condemned to 10 years of exile to 40leaguesfrom the Court, seizure of goods and he was made jointly responsible for compensating harmed Habaneros.[3]
Shortly after being notified of the sentence Manso de Velasco left for his exile inPriego de Córdoba,where he arrived the same year. Less than two years later, on January 5, 1767, he died in the same city, where his remains still lay in the Church of San Pedro.[4]
References[edit]
- ^Kuethe, Allan J.;Andrien, Kenneth J. (May 12, 2014)."Clerical Reform and the Secularization of the Doctrinas de Indios".The Spanish Atlantic World in the Eighteenth Century.Cambridge University Press.p. 173.ISBN9781139916844.RetrievedApril 20,2015.
- ^Martínez Millán, José; Camarero Bullón, Concepción; Luzzi Traficante, Marcelo (2013). "Víctimas ilustradas del Despotismo. El conde de Superunda, culpable y reo, ante el conde de Aranda".La corte de los Borbones, crisis del modelo cortesano.Chapter written by J. L. Gómez Urdañez. Ediciones Polifemo. pp. 1003–1033.ISBN978-8496813816.
- ^Martínez Martín, Carmen (2006)."Linaje y nobleza del virrey don José Manso de Velasco, conde de Superunda".Revista Complutense de Historia de América.32:269–280.RetrievedApril 6,2019.
- ^"Abierta la tumba del Conde de Superunda con motivo de la restauración de San Pedro"(PDF).ADARVE.372:16–17. December 1, 1991.RetrievedApril 6,2019.
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