Francisco de Ayeta
Encyclopedia
Francisco de Ayeta was a Spanish Franciscan
missionary of the Seventeenth century, in New Spain
and Mexico
.
Ayeta investigated remote missions personally, especially those of New Mexico
, and he was the first to warn the Spanish authorities of the incipient Pueblo revolt
. His report, from 1678, induced the authorities of New Spain to reinforce the garrison at Santa Fe
, but it was too late. The Pueblos broke out on 10 August, 1680, and for 14 years New Mexico was lost to Spain. Ayeta hurried to El Paso
, and when 2000 fugitives from the North reached that post, Ayeta was the first to offer them the needed relief in food and clothing.
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....
missionary of the Seventeenth century, in 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...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Life
He became successively Visitor of the Province of the Holy Evangel of New Mexico, and its Procurator at Madrid as well as Commissary of the Inquisition in New Spain.Ayeta investigated remote missions personally, especially those of New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, and he was the first to warn the Spanish authorities of the incipient Pueblo revolt
Pueblo Revolt
The Pueblo Revolt of 1680, or Popé's Rebellion, was an uprising of several pueblos of the Pueblo people against Spanish colonization of the Americas in the province of Santa Fe de Nuevo México.-Background:...
. His report, from 1678, induced the authorities of New Spain to reinforce the garrison at Santa Fe
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
, but it was too late. The Pueblos broke out on 10 August, 1680, and for 14 years New Mexico was lost to Spain. Ayeta hurried to El Paso
El Paso
El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...
, and when 2000 fugitives from the North reached that post, Ayeta was the first to offer them the needed relief in food and clothing.
Works
Three books are known to have been published by him, all without date and place. The first is "Apología del orden de San Francisco en América", which is supposed to have appeared about 1690; the second, "Defensa de la provincia del Santa Evangelio de México sobre la retención de los curatos y doctrinas"; and the third "Ultimo recurso de la provincia de San José de Yucatan sobre despojo de parroquias". He defended the regular orders in Mexico, whom the secular authorities wanted to deprive of their missions. Ayeta became one of the most fervent defenders of the Franciscans, and he wrote very aggressively.Further reading
- Documentos para la historia de Mexico (third series, very rare);
- Bandelier, Documentary History of the Zuni Tribe, in Journal Am. Arch., No. 1.