Andrés Rodríguez de Villegas
Encyclopedia
Andrés Rodríguez Villegas (??-1633) was the Spanish governor and captain-general of the Province of isla Margarita
, Venezuela
(1619 - 1626) and governor of Florida
(1630-1633).
, but the year of his birth is unknown. Villegas entered the body of Spanish infantry in 1604, later becoming captain. He sailed the Moluccas, the Philippines
and other places where the rank of Admiral of the South Sea (Pacific Ocean). Later he came to isla de Margarita, Venezuela
, where he was appointed governor on June 6, 1619. After that was given 1500 ducats in salary, payable to the Royal Treasury of the Cabildo of Asuncion. After taking office on 1 August of that year, the first thing he did was write to the king, to inform you of the need to improve the fortifications of the island and also to criticize the Araya to be built in at that time.
In April 1623 in Araya, Villegas met with the governor of Nueva Andalucía, Diego de Arroyo
and military engineers Daza and Juan Bautista Antonelli Antonelli, Cristobal Roda, to define the criteria to be deprived in the fortification to be built, Governor Rodríguez presented a project, but prevails submitted by Roda. That same year, Rodriguez sent Spain a plan of your project, but in 1625 he informed the king that this building collapsed due to the king's refusal to accept its recommendations to remove the foundation from the beach, hugging the ground with walls. Then he turned over command of isla de Margarita to Garcia Álvarez de Figueroa, June 1, 1626. According to the Royal Court, he was a just ruler and zealous in the affairs of administration and justice. Later, in 1630, Villegas was appointed governor of Florida
, a position he held until his death in 1632 or 1633.
Isla Margarita
Margarita Island is the largest island of the state of Nueva Esparta in Venezuela, situated in the Caribbean Sea, off the northeastern coast of the country. The state also contains two other smaller islands: Coche and Cubagua. The capital city of Nueva Esparta is La Asunción, located in a river...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
(1619 - 1626) and governor of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
(1630-1633).
Biography
Andrés Rodríguez de Villegas was born in SpainSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, but the year of his birth is unknown. Villegas entered the body of Spanish infantry in 1604, later becoming captain. He sailed the Moluccas, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
and other places where the rank of Admiral of the South Sea (Pacific Ocean). Later he came to isla de Margarita, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, where he was appointed governor on June 6, 1619. After that was given 1500 ducats in salary, payable to the Royal Treasury of the Cabildo of Asuncion. After taking office on 1 August of that year, the first thing he did was write to the king, to inform you of the need to improve the fortifications of the island and also to criticize the Araya to be built in at that time.
In April 1623 in Araya, Villegas met with the governor of Nueva Andalucía, Diego de Arroyo
Diego de Arroyo
Diego de Arroyo, a miniature painter, who was born at Toledo in 1498, is supposed to have studied either in Italy or under an Italian master. His delicate miniature portraits gained him much renown, and the appointment of painter to Charles V. He also illuminated choir-books for the cathedral of...
and military engineers Daza and Juan Bautista Antonelli Antonelli, Cristobal Roda, to define the criteria to be deprived in the fortification to be built, Governor Rodríguez presented a project, but prevails submitted by Roda. That same year, Rodriguez sent Spain a plan of your project, but in 1625 he informed the king that this building collapsed due to the king's refusal to accept its recommendations to remove the foundation from the beach, hugging the ground with walls. Then he turned over command of isla de Margarita to Garcia Álvarez de Figueroa, June 1, 1626. According to the Royal Court, he was a just ruler and zealous in the affairs of administration and justice. Later, in 1630, Villegas was appointed governor of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, a position he held until his death in 1632 or 1633.