Rodrigo de Vivero y Aberrucia
Encyclopedia
Rodrigo de Vivero y Aberrucia, 1st Count of Valle de Orizaba (Laredo
, Spain
1564–1636) was a Spanish noble
who served as the 13th governor and captain-general
of the Philippines
from 1608 to 1609. He was the son of Rodrigo de Vivero y Velasco
, a Spanish colonial officer who was the nephew of Viceroy of New Spain
Luis de Velasco
, and Melchora de Aberrucia, a widow of conquistador
Alonso Valiente
.
from June 15, 1608 to April 1609.
While in Manila
, Rodrigo de Vivero y Aberrucia was confronted with the insurrection of the Japanese enclaves in the Philippines, especially Dilao. He deported some of the Japanese back to Japan and implemented trade control. Soon after however, he received messages from William Adams
on behalf of Tokugawa Ieyasu
, who wished to establish direct trade contacts with New Spain. Friendly letters were exchanged, officially starting relations between Japan and New Spain.
His term as governor of the Philippines ended at Easter, 1609. Thereafter he was appointed count of Valle, and governor, captain-general, and president of the Audiencia of Panama
.
On 30 September 1609, on his way back to Mexico, Rodrigo's ship, the San Francisco became shipwrecked in Japan with a crew of 373, near Iwada in Kazusa Province (today Chiba
). Of the two other ships which accompanied Rodrigo, the Santa Ana rallied another Japanese harbour safely, but the other, San Antonio, disappeared. Rodrigo de Vivero y Aberrucia spent 9 months in Japan and met extensively with authorities, with the help of Luis Sotelo
.
He left Japan on board a ship built by William Adams, the San Buena Ventura in August 1610. (He could have left on the Santa Ana, but wished to accompany the Japanese so that they could be welcome without trouble in New Spain). He was accompanied by 23 Japanese representatives on his way back, led by the Kyoto trader Tanaka Shōsuke
(田中勝助). They became the first Japanese recorded to cross the Pacific.
They were also accompanied by the Franciscan
Father Alonso Muños, who was the official envoy of Tokugawa Ieyasu to negotiate trade with the Spanish authorities. The Shogun also lent them the equivalent of 4,000 ducados for the trip.
During his stay, Rodrigo established a treaty with the Japanese, offering extraterritorial privileges for a Spanish shipyard and a naval base in eastern Japan in exchange for transpacific trade and Mexican silver mining technology. Rodrigo also requested the mapping of Japanese coasts, freedom for the activities of Catholic priests and the expulsion of the Dutch.
Luis de Velasco
, the viceroy of Nueva España, received the 23 Japanese and expressed his great satisfaction at the treatment the Spanish sailors had received in Japan. He decided to send an embassy to Japan in the person of the famous explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno
.
Vizcaíno also had a mission to return the 4,000 ducados and to research "gold and silver islands" supposedly to the east of Japan. He left for Japan on 22 March 1611, and after another shipwreck would eventually return in 1613 onboard the Japanese-built galleon San Juan Bautista
with the first official Japanese embassy to the Americas and Europe, led by Hasekura Tsunenaga
.
Laredo, Cantabria
Laredo is a town in the Northern Spanish province and autonomous community of Cantabria.Located between the cities of Santander and Bilbao, Laredo is known in the region and nationally for "La Salvé", its 5 km long beach and for the historic part of town dating back to Roman times...
, Spain
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...
1564–1636) was a Spanish noble
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
who served as the 13th governor and captain-general
Governor-General of the Philippines
The Governor-General of the Philippines was the title of the government executive during the colonial period of the Philippines, governed mainly by Spain and the United States, and briefly by Great Britain, from 1565 to 1935....
of 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...
from 1608 to 1609. He was the son of Rodrigo de Vivero y Velasco
Rodrigo de Vivero y Velasco
Rodrigo de Vivero y Velasco was a Spanish colonial officer from New Spain. In 1563 he married Melchora de Aberrucia, who was Alonso Valiente's widow, and thereby disposed the encomienda of Tecamachalco...
, a Spanish colonial officer who was the nephew of Viceroy of New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
Luis de Velasco
Luis de Velasco
Luís de Velasco was the second viceroy of New Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the mid-sixteenth century....
, and Melchora de Aberrucia, a widow of conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
Alonso Valiente
Alonso Valiente
Alonso Valiente was a Spanish conqueror. He was Hernan Cortés' cousin and secretary. He was one of the first governors of Mexico City...
.
Governorship
He became the interim governor of the PhilippinesPhilippines
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...
from June 15, 1608 to April 1609.
While in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, Rodrigo de Vivero y Aberrucia was confronted with the insurrection of the Japanese enclaves in the Philippines, especially Dilao. He deported some of the Japanese back to Japan and implemented trade control. Soon after however, he received messages from William Adams
William Adams (sailor)
William Adams , also known in Japanese as Anjin-sama and Miura Anjin , was an English navigator who travelled to Japan and is believed to be the first Englishman ever to reach that country...
on behalf of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
, who wished to establish direct trade contacts with New Spain. Friendly letters were exchanged, officially starting relations between Japan and New Spain.
His term as governor of the Philippines ended at Easter, 1609. Thereafter he was appointed count of Valle, and governor, captain-general, and president of the Audiencia of Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
.
On 30 September 1609, on his way back to Mexico, Rodrigo's ship, the San Francisco became shipwrecked in Japan with a crew of 373, near Iwada in Kazusa Province (today Chiba
Chiba Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region and the Greater Tokyo Area. Its capital is Chiba City.- History :Chiba Prefecture was established on June 15, 1873 with the merger of Kisarazu Prefecture and Inba Prefecture...
). Of the two other ships which accompanied Rodrigo, the Santa Ana rallied another Japanese harbour safely, but the other, San Antonio, disappeared. Rodrigo de Vivero y Aberrucia spent 9 months in Japan and met extensively with authorities, with the help of Luis Sotelo
Luis Sotelo
Blessed Luis Sotelo was a Franciscan friar who died as a martyr in Japan, in 1624, and was beatified by Pope Pius IX in 1867....
.
He left Japan on board a ship built by William Adams, the San Buena Ventura in August 1610. (He could have left on the Santa Ana, but wished to accompany the Japanese so that they could be welcome without trouble in New Spain). He was accompanied by 23 Japanese representatives on his way back, led by the Kyoto trader Tanaka Shōsuke
Tanaka Shosuke
Tanaka Shōsuke was an important Japanese technician and trader in metals from Kyoto during the beginning of the 17th century.According to Japanese archives he was a representative of the great Osaka merchant Gotō Shōsaburō...
(田中勝助). They became the first Japanese recorded to cross the Pacific.
They were also accompanied by the Franciscan
Franciscan
Most Franciscans are members of Roman Catholic religious orders founded by Saint Francis of Assisi. Besides Roman Catholic communities, there are also Old Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, ecumenical and Non-denominational Franciscan communities....
Father Alonso Muños, who was the official envoy of Tokugawa Ieyasu to negotiate trade with the Spanish authorities. The Shogun also lent them the equivalent of 4,000 ducados for the trip.
During his stay, Rodrigo established a treaty with the Japanese, offering extraterritorial privileges for a Spanish shipyard and a naval base in eastern Japan in exchange for transpacific trade and Mexican silver mining technology. Rodrigo also requested the mapping of Japanese coasts, freedom for the activities of Catholic priests and the expulsion of the Dutch.
Luis de Velasco
Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas
Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas , Spanish nobleman, son of the second viceroy of New Spain, and himself the eighth viceroy. He governed from January 27, 1590 to November 4, 1595, and again from July 2, 1607 to June 10, 1611...
, the viceroy of Nueva España, received the 23 Japanese and expressed his great satisfaction at the treatment the Spanish sailors had received in Japan. He decided to send an embassy to Japan in the person of the famous explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno
Sebastián Vizcaíno
Sebastián Vizcaíno was a Spanish soldier, entrepreneur, explorer, and diplomat whose varied roles took him to New Spain, the Philippines, the Baja California peninsula, the California coast and Japan.-Early career:...
.
Vizcaíno also had a mission to return the 4,000 ducados and to research "gold and silver islands" supposedly to the east of Japan. He left for Japan on 22 March 1611, and after another shipwreck would eventually return in 1613 onboard the Japanese-built galleon San Juan Bautista
Japanese warship San Juan Bautista
San Juan Bautista was one of Japan's first Japanese-built Western-style sail warships. She crossed the Pacific in 1614. She was of the Spanish galleon type, known in Japan as Nanban-Sen San Juan Bautista (“St. John the Baptist”) (originally called Date Maru, 伊達丸 in Japanese) was one of Japan's...
with the first official Japanese embassy to the Americas and Europe, led by Hasekura Tsunenaga
Hasekura Tsunenaga
Hasekura Rokuemon Tsunenaga or was a Japanese samurai and retainer of Date Masamune, the daimyo of Sendai....
.
External links
- http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Philippines.htm
- An Unscheduled Visit: Rodrigo de Vivero in Japan, 1609-1610 by Michael Cooper Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan, fourth series, volume 22, 2008 SUPPLEMENT ISBN 978-4-9903922-1-5 http://www.asjapan.org/web.php