Dalmacio Vélez Sársfield
Encyclopedia
Dalmacio Vélez Sársfield (February 18, 1800 – June 30, 1875) was an Argentine
lawyer
and politician
who wrote the Argentine Civil Code of 1869, the vast majority of which remains in use to this day.
, in the province
of Córdoba
. His parents were Rosa Sarsfield Palacios, whose ancestors were Irish, and Dalmacio Vélez Baigorri, who died before his son was born. He studied at the Jesuit
college at the National University of Córdoba
, and was particularly adept at mathematics
and language
s, fluently speaking English
, French
, Italian
and Latin
. He earned a juris doctor
in 1822.
Upon finishing his studies, he married the former Paula Piñero, and became very active in politics. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies
, and was nominated as the Speaker of the House in 1825, a position that he took up the following year, becoming the position's youngest holder, as well as a vocal supporter of President Bernardino Rivadavia
and the latter's policy in favor of centralized government
. Vélez Sarsfield was awarded a professorship of Economics
at the Law Faculty of the University of Buenos Aires
in 1826. He represented the Buenos Aires Province
Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas
in a number of legal disputes with the Catholic Church, as well as with Santa Fe Province
Governor Estanislao López
, and was named President of the Academy of Jurisprudence in 1835.
Souring relations with Governor Rosas forced Vélez Sársfield to leave in exile to Montevideo
, Uruguay
, in 1842. He befriended Unitarian
s José María Paz
and Domingo Sarmiento (staunch opponents of Rosas), and worked with the latter in Europe
before returning. He arrived to find his home destroyed by vandals and occupied by squatters; but despite their earlier dispute, Governor Rosas had the property returned to the respected lawyer.
Vélez Sársfield allied himself with General Bartolomé Mitre
, a staunch advocate of Buenos Aires
interests, following Rosas' overthrow
, and served as counsel to Mitre in his opposition to the San Nicolás Agreement
of 1852 (which Buenos Aires rejected). Following the province's secession, Vélez Sársfield drafted the State of Buenos Aires
Constitution of 1854 for Governor Pastor Obligado
. The province's defeat at the Battle of Cepeda
resulted in its reunification with Argentina, towards which Vélez Sársfield helped craft a series of requisite amendments to the Argentine Constitution.
Mitre's election to the presidency in 1862 made Vélez Sársfield the nation's Finance Minister. He obtained congressional passage in 1863 of the Commercial Code
he had earlier created for Buenos Aires, and in 1864 began work on his landmark Civil Code. He also advanced the modernization of the agrarian sector, then dominated by livestock
ranching, by funding the nation's first institute of agronomy
. Vélez Sársfield was appointed Internal Affairs Minister by Mitre's successor, Domingo Sarmiento, in 1868. He encouraged immigration by having the numerous, private assistance leagues merged into the Central Immigration Commission, and on September 25, 1869, had Congress approve the Civil Code by acclamation; the document, since amended, was enacted on January 1, 1871.
The aging jurist retired afterwards, and founded El Nacional. The new periodical coincided with the launch of Mitre's La Nación
, however, and El Nacional closed. Dr. Dalmacio Vélez Sársfield died in Buenos Aires
in 1875, at the age of 74; he was interred at La Recoleta Cemetery
.
The barrio of Velez Sarsfield
in Buenos Aires is named after him. The Vélez Sársfield sports club
, best known for its First Division
football
team, is indirectly named after him, having taken its name from a railway station bearing his name.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
who wrote the Argentine Civil Code of 1869, the vast majority of which remains in use to this day.
Life and times
Vélez Sarsfield was born in Amboy, a small town in the Calamuchita ValleyCalamuchita Department
The Calamuchita Department is a subdivision of the .The department is located in the center-west of the province and includes important tourist destinations, especially along the Calamuchita Valley. The center of this region is the small city of Santa Rosa de Calamuchita...
, in the province
Provinces of Argentina
Argentina is subdivided into twenty-three provinces and one autonomous city...
of Córdoba
Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca...
. His parents were Rosa Sarsfield Palacios, whose ancestors were Irish, and Dalmacio Vélez Baigorri, who died before his son was born. He studied at the Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
college at the National University of Córdoba
National University of Córdoba
The National University of Córdoba, , is the oldest university in Argentina, and one of the oldest in the Americas. It is located in Córdoba, the capital of Córdoba Province. Since the early 20th century it has been the second largest university in the country in terms of the number of students,...
, and was particularly adept at mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and language
Language
Language may refer either to the specifically human capacity for acquiring and using complex systems of communication, or to a specific instance of such a system of complex communication...
s, fluently speaking English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
. He earned a juris doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1822.
Upon finishing his studies, he married the former Paula Piñero, and became very active in politics. He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies
Argentine Chamber of Deputies
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Argentine National Congress. This Chamber holds exclusive rights to create taxes, to draft troops, and to accuse the President, the ministers and the members of the Supreme Court before the Senate....
, and was nominated as the Speaker of the House in 1825, a position that he took up the following year, becoming the position's youngest holder, as well as a vocal supporter of President Bernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino Rivadavia
Bernardino de la Trinidad Gónzalez Rivadavia y Rivadavia was the first president of Argentina, from February 8, 1826 to July 7, 1827 . He was a politician of the United Provinces of Río de la Plata, Argentina today...
and the latter's policy in favor of centralized government
Centralized government
A centralized or centralised government is one in which power or legal authority is exerted or coordinated by a de facto political executive to which federal states, local authorities, and smaller units are considered subject...
. Vélez Sarsfield was awarded a professorship of Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
at the Law Faculty of the University of Buenos Aires
University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires is the largest university in Argentina and the largest university by enrollment in Latin America. Founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires, it consists of 13 faculties, 6 hospitals, 10 museums and is linked to 4 high schools: Colegio Nacional de Buenos...
in 1826. He represented the Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
Governor Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas
Juan Manuel de Rosas , was an argentine militar and politician, who was elected governor of the province of Buenos Aires in 1829 to 1835, and then of the Argentine Confederation from 1835 until 1852...
in a number of legal disputes with the Catholic Church, as well as with Santa Fe Province
Santa Fe Province
The Invincible Province of Santa Fe, in Spanish Provincia Invencible de Santa Fe , is a province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco , Corrientes, Entre Ríos, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Santiago del Estero...
Governor Estanislao López
Estanislao López
Estanislao López was a governor and caudillo of the , between 1818 and 1838, a hero of provincial federalism and an ally of Juan Manuel de Rosas during the Argentine Civil War.-Biography:...
, and was named President of the Academy of Jurisprudence in 1835.
Souring relations with Governor Rosas forced Vélez Sársfield to leave in exile to Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
, Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
, in 1842. He befriended Unitarian
Unitarian Party
Unitarianists or Unitarians were the proponents of the concept of a Unitary state in Buenos Aires during the civil wars which shortly followed the Declaration of Independence of Argentina in 1816. They were opposed to the Argentine Federalists, who wanted a federation of independent provinces...
s José María Paz
José María Paz
Brigadier General José María Paz y Haedo was an Argentine military figure, notable in the Argentine War of Independence and the Argentine Civil War.-Childhood:...
and Domingo Sarmiento (staunch opponents of Rosas), and worked with the latter in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
before returning. He arrived to find his home destroyed by vandals and occupied by squatters; but despite their earlier dispute, Governor Rosas had the property returned to the respected lawyer.
Vélez Sársfield allied himself with General Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre
Bartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...
, a staunch advocate of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
interests, following Rosas' overthrow
Battle of Caseros
The Battle of Caseros was fought near the town of Caseros, more precisely between the present-day train stations of Caseros and Palomar in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, on 3 February 1852, between the Army of Buenos Aires commanded by Juan Manuel de Rosas...
, and served as counsel to Mitre in his opposition to the San Nicolás Agreement
San Nicolás Agreement
The San Nicolás Agreement was a pact signed on May 31, 1852 and subscribed by all but one of the 14 provinces of the United Provinces of the River Plate . The treaty consisted of 19 articles, and its goal was to set the bases for the national organization of the young Argentine state...
of 1852 (which Buenos Aires rejected). Following the province's secession, Vélez Sársfield drafted the State of Buenos Aires
State of Buenos Aires
The State of Buenos Aires was a secessionist republic resulting from the overthrow of the Argentine Confederation government in the Province of Buenos Aires on September 11, 1852. The State of Buenos Aires was never recognized by the Confederation or by foreign nations; it remained, however,...
Constitution of 1854 for Governor Pastor Obligado
Pastor Obligado
Pastor Obligado was an Argentine lawyer and lawmaker who served as Governor of the secessionist State of Buenos Aires from 1853 to 1858.-Early life and career:...
. The province's defeat at the Battle of Cepeda
Battle of Cepeda (1859)
The Battle of Cepeda of 1859 took place on October 23 at Cañada de Cepeda, Santa Fe, Argentina. The Republic of the Argentine Confederation army, led by Federal Justo José de Urquiza defeated the Province of Buenos Aires forces, led by Unitarian Bartolomé Mitre.-The battle in context:Before the...
resulted in its reunification with Argentina, towards which Vélez Sársfield helped craft a series of requisite amendments to the Argentine Constitution.
Mitre's election to the presidency in 1862 made Vélez Sársfield the nation's Finance Minister. He obtained congressional passage in 1863 of the Commercial Code
Commercial code
Commercial code might refer to:*Commercial code , a set of laws designed to regulate comemrce*Commercial code , a code used in telegraph and telex messages....
he had earlier created for Buenos Aires, and in 1864 began work on his landmark Civil Code. He also advanced the modernization of the agrarian sector, then dominated by livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
ranching, by funding the nation's first institute of agronomy
Agronomy
Agronomy is the science and technology of producing and using plants for food, fuel, feed, fiber, and reclamation. Agronomy encompasses work in the areas of plant genetics, plant physiology, meteorology, and soil science. Agronomy is the application of a combination of sciences like biology,...
. Vélez Sársfield was appointed Internal Affairs Minister by Mitre's successor, Domingo Sarmiento, in 1868. He encouraged immigration by having the numerous, private assistance leagues merged into the Central Immigration Commission, and on September 25, 1869, had Congress approve the Civil Code by acclamation; the document, since amended, was enacted on January 1, 1871.
The aging jurist retired afterwards, and founded El Nacional. The new periodical coincided with the launch of Mitre's La Nación
La Nación
La Nación is an Argentine daily newspaper. The country's leading conservative paper, the centrist Clarín is its main competitor. It is the only newspaper in Argentina still published in broadsheet format.-Overview:...
, however, and El Nacional closed. Dr. Dalmacio Vélez Sársfield died in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
in 1875, at the age of 74; he was interred at La Recoleta Cemetery
La Recoleta Cemetery
La Recoleta Cemetery is a famous cemetery located in the exclusive Recoleta neighbourhood of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It contains the graves of notable people, including Eva Perón, Raúl Alfonsín, and several presidents of Argentina.- History :...
.
The barrio of Velez Sarsfield
Vélez Sársfield (barrio)
Vélez Sársfield is a barrio or district in the western part of Buenos Aires, Argentina, located in the area defined by the streets Segurola Avenue, Juan Agustín García, Lope de Vega Avenue, Juan B. Justo Ave., Corro Ave., Medina, Juan Bautista Alberdi Ave...
in Buenos Aires is named after him. The Vélez Sársfield sports club
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
, best known for its First Division
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team, is indirectly named after him, having taken its name from a railway station bearing his name.