Diego Benavides de la Cueva
Diego Benavides de la Cueva y Bazán , conde de Santisteban del Puerto , marqués de Solera (* 1607 in Santisteban del Puerto , Jaén Province , Spain ; † March 17, 1666 in Lima , today: Peru ) was a Spanish officer, writer, diplomat , Administrator and Colonial Administrator who served as Viceroy of Navarre and Peru . Benavides was married to Ana de Silva y Manrique, with whom he had several children.
Origin and youth
Benavides came from a noble family. His father was the Duke of Alburquerque. His brother Francisco Fernández de la Cueva inherited the title of duke and officiated as viceroy of New Spain . Diego Benavides de la Cueva studied at the University of Salamanca and made a name for himself in the Spanish campaign in Italy in 1637. As a thank you he was awarded the title of Marqués de Solera .
A collection of his poems appeared under the title Horas sucesivas . He was a member of the Order of Santiago and chamberlain at the court of King Philip IV of Spain.
In 1652 the king made him viceroy of Navarre . In 1659 he was instrumental in bringing about the Peace of the Pyrenees , which ended the long war between France and Spain. The main ridge of the Pyrenees separated the two countries from then on, and the Spanish Infanta Maria Teresa was married to the French heir to the throne, Louis XIV .
Term of office as Viceroy of Peru
In gratitude for his services, King Philip IV appointed Benavides Viceroy of Peru in 1659. In November he embarked in Cádiz , but had to break off the voyage, and sailed again in January 1660. Since he was traveling from Central America to Peru by land, he did not reach Lima until July 1661.
The first Real Audiencia of Buenos Aires was built during his tenure, but it did not last long.
He campaigned to keep the working conditions of the local population tolerable and issued his own decree ( Ordenanza de Obrajes ) for this purpose .
During his tenure there was a dispute between the Spanish mine operators in Peru and a local uprising in La Paz .
Diego Benavides died in office in Lima in March 1666. His eldest son Francisco Benavides later officiated as Viceroy of Sicily and Naples . His second-born son, Manuel Benavides, embarked on a military career and stayed as a general in South America.
literature
- Manuel de Mendiburu (1805-1885): Diccionario histórico-biográfico del Perú . tape 2 . Imprenta de J. Francisco Solis, Lima 1876 ( Cervantes Virtual [accessed April 14, 2014]).
Web links
- Short biography (Spanish)
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Luis Enríquez de Guzmán |
Viceroy of Peru 1661–1666 |
Bernardo de Iturriaza |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Benavides de la Cueva, Diego |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Benavides de la Cueva y Bazán, Diego, conde de Santisteban del Puerto, marqués de Solera |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Viceroy of Navarre and Peru |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1607 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Santisteban del Puerto |
| DATE OF DEATH | March 17, 1666 |
| Place of death | Lima |