José Antonio Manso de Velasco
Encyclopedia
José Antonio Manso de Velasco y Sánchez de Samaniego, 1st Count of Superunda (1688 – May 6, 1767) was a Spanish
soldier and politician who served as governor of Chile
and viceroy of Peru.
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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 in Santiago
, irrigation canals on the Maipo River
as well as breakwaters on the Mapocho River
, the rebuilding of Valdivia
(destroyed by an earthquake), and the celebration of an armistice with the indigenous Mapuche 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:
His efficiency and diligence recommended him to a higher post, and Ferdinand VI
named him viceroy of Peru in 1745, making him the first governor of Chile to be elevated in such a manner.
, holding the office from 1745 to October 12, 1761. He succeeded José Antonio de Mendoza, 3rd Marquis of Villagarcía and was replaced by Manuel de Amat y Juniet
. The most important event of his tenure was the great earthquake of 1746.
and 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 10 or 11 on the Mercalli scale. The aftershock
s, 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. In Callao
, a tsunami
of 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 the adobe
style 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 of Bellavista
. On May 30, 1755 the cathedral of Lima was begun.
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 of Havana
in the then-Captaincy General of Cuba
, just at a time when the colony was under attack from the English
. The attackers 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 English, he was eventually brought to Cadiz
in Spain. There, due to his position as "Chief of the War Council", he was held responsible for the inglorious defeat in Cuba, and court martialed. His sentence was a "100 year suspension from military service" and confinement to the city of Granada, where he finally died in 1767.
Spain
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...
soldier and politician who served as governor of Chile
Royal Governor of Chile
The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district known as the Kingdom of Chile. This district was also called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General...
and viceroy of Peru.
As Governor of Chile
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, irrigation canals on the Maipo River
Maipo River
Maipo River is the main river flowing through Santiago Metropolitan Region, Chile. Its headwaters are on the west slope of Maipo volcano, in the Andes. Its most famous tributary is Mapocho River. The Maipo River is by far the major source of irrigation and potable water for the region.-Course:In...
as well as breakwaters on the Mapocho River
Mapocho River
The Mapocho River flows from the Andes mountains onto the west and divides Chile's capital Santiago in two.-Course:...
, the rebuilding of Valdivia
Valdivia, Chile
Valdivia is a city and commune in southern Chile administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia and Cau-Cau Rivers, approximately east of the coastal towns of Corral and Niebla...
(destroyed by an earthquake), and the celebration of an armistice with the indigenous Mapuche 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:
- CauquenesCauquenesCauquenes, a city and commune in Chile, is the capital of the Cauquenes Province and is located in the Maule Region.-History:According to the historical records of Alonso de Ercilla, Cauquenes was originally inhabited by an indigenous community of the Promaucaes, known as the Cauqui by the Inca or...
(Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes), 1742 - CopiapóCopiapóCopiapó is a city in northern Chile, located about 40 miles east of the coastal town of Caldera. Founded on December 8, 1744, it is the capital of Copiapó Province and Atacama Region....
(San Francisco de la Selva), 1744 - CuricóCuricóCuricó , meaning "Black Waters" in Mapudungun , is the capital city of the Curicó Province, part of the Maule Region in Chile's central valley....
(San José de Buena Vista), 1743 - MelipillaMelipillaMelipilla is a Chilean commune and capital city of the province of the same name, located in the Santiago Metropolitan Region southwest of the nation's capital...
(San José de Logroño), 1742 - RancaguaRancaguaRancagua is a city and commune in central Chile, part of the Rancagua conurbation. It is the capital of the Cachapoal Province and of the O'Higgins Region, located south of the national capital of Santiago. It had a 2002 population of 214,344...
(Santa Cruz de Triana), 1743 - San FelipeSan Felipe, ChileSan Felipe is a commune and the capital city of the San Felipe de Aconcagua Province in central Chile's Valparaíso Region. It is located north of the national capital of Santiago...
, 1740 - San FernandoSan Fernando, ChileSan Fernando is the capital of the province of Colchagua, in central Chile, and the second most populated urban center of the O'Higgins Region. Located close to the Tinguiririca River in a fertile valley, San Fernando sits 1,112 feet above sea level...
(San Fernando de Tinguiririca), 1742 - TalcaTalcaTalca is a city and commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region . As of the 2002 census, the city had a population of 193,755....
(San Agustín de Talca), 1742
His efficiency and diligence recommended him to a higher post, and Ferdinand VI
Ferdinand VI of Spain
Ferdinand VI , called the Learnt, was King of Spain from 9 July 1746 until his death. He was the fourth son of the previous monarch Philip V and his first wife Maria Luisa of Savoy...
named him viceroy of Peru in 1745, making him the first governor of Chile to be elevated in such a manner.
As Viceroy of Peru
Manso de Velasco was the viceroy of Peru during the reign of Ferdinand VI of the House of BourbonHouse of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
, holding the office from 1745 to October 12, 1761. He succeeded José Antonio de Mendoza, 3rd Marquis of Villagarcía and was replaced by Manuel de Amat y Juniet
Manuel de Amat y Juniet
Felipe Manuel Cayetano de Amat y de Juniet was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator. He was the Royal Governor of the Captaincy General of Chile from December 28, 1755 to September 9, 1761, and Viceroy of Peru from October 12, 1761 to July 17, 1776.-Origins and military...
. The most important event of his tenure was the great earthquake of 1746.
Lima earthquake
On October 28, 1746 at around 10:30 at night, a major earthquake struck LimaLima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
and 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 10 or 11 on the Mercalli scale. The aftershock
Aftershock
An aftershock is a smaller earthquake that occurs after a previous large earthquake, in the same area of the main shock. If an aftershock is larger than the main shock, the aftershock is redesignated as the main shock and the original main shock is redesignated as a foreshock...
s, 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. In Callao
Callao
Callao is the largest and most important port in Peru. The city is coterminous with the Constitutional Province of Callao, the only province of the Callao Region. Callao is located west of Lima, the country's capital, and is part of the Lima Metropolitan Area, a large metropolis that holds almost...
, a tsunami
Tsunami
A tsunami is a series of water waves caused by the displacement of a large volume of a body of water, typically an ocean or a large lake...
of 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 the adobe
Adobe
Adobe is a natural building material made from sand, clay, water, and some kind of fibrous or organic material , which the builders shape into bricks using frames and dry in the sun. Adobe buildings are similar to cob and mudbrick buildings. Adobe structures are extremely durable, and account for...
style 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 of Bellavista
Bellavista
Bellavista is Spanish for "Beautiful view". It is the name of the following places:* Chile** Barrio Bellavista, an area of Santiago de Chile* Colombia** alternative name of Bojayá, a town in Colombia* Italy...
. On May 30, 1755 the cathedral of Lima was begun.
Last days
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
in the then-Captaincy General of Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, just at a time when the colony was under attack from the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The attackers 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 English, he was eventually brought to Cadiz
Cádiz
Cadiz is a city and port in southwestern Spain. It is the capital of the homonymous province, one of eight which make up the autonomous community of Andalusia....
in Spain. There, due to his position as "Chief of the War Council", he was held responsible for the inglorious defeat in Cuba, and court martialed. His sentence was a "100 year suspension from military service" and confinement to the city of Granada, where he finally died in 1767.