Melchor Liñán y Cisneros
Encyclopedia
Melchor Liñán y Cisneros (sometimes Melchor de Liñán y Cisneros) (1629, Madrid
—1708, Lima
, Peru
) was a Spanish prelate
, colonial official, and viceroy Peru, from July 7, 1678 to November 20, 1681http://www.bmayor.unc.edu.ar/alcedo_y_herrera.htm).
He studied theology in the University of Alcalá de Henares, where he took his doctorate. Thereafter he was chaplin in Buitrago
. He was also calificador (censor) of the Holy Office of the Inquisition
. He arrived in America in 1664, as bishop of Santa Marta
. In 1666 he became bishop of Popoyán, and then archbishop of Charcas
in 1667.
He was sent as visitador (inspector) to Nuevo Reino de Granada in what is now Colombia in 1671 because of the inaction of Diego de Villalba y Toledo
, president of the Audiencia there. He replaced Villabla in that position on June 2, 1671. At the same time he served as interim governor and captain general of Nuevo Reino de Granada.
He was archbishop of Lima in 1678 when he was appointed viceroy of Peru. As viceroy, he improved the fortifications of the port of Callao
to defend against attacks by Dutch filibuster
s. He repressed rebellions of the clergy, who were opposed to the nomination of prelates from Spain — the Franciscans in Cuzco
and the Dominicans
in Quito
.
On the death of the Peruvian astronomer Doctor Francisco Ruiz Lozano
, Viceroy Liñán y Cisneros (with the approval of the Crown) gave mathematics a permanent position in the University of San Marcos
. Mathematics was attached to the chair of cosmography. Doctor Juan Ramón Koening, a Belgian by birth, was named to the chair.http://sisbib.unmsm.edu.pe/Bibvirtual/Tesis/Ingenie/Ccente_P_E/cap2.htm
As a reward for his services, the Spanish Crown granted Liñán y Cisneros the title of conde de la Puebla de los Valles. He wrote Ofensa y defensa de la libertad eclesiástica (Offense and Defence of Ecclesiastical Liberty). He died in Lima in 1708.
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
—1708, Lima
Lima
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...
, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
) was a Spanish prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
, colonial official, and viceroy Peru, from July 7, 1678 to November 20, 1681http://www.bmayor.unc.edu.ar/alcedo_y_herrera.htm).
He studied theology in the University of Alcalá de Henares, where he took his doctorate. Thereafter he was chaplin in Buitrago
Buitrago
Buitrago is a municipality located in the province of Soria, Soria, Spain. According to the 2004 census , the municipality has a population of 55 inhabitants....
. He was also calificador (censor) of the Holy Office of the Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
. He arrived in America in 1664, as bishop of Santa Marta
Santa Marta
Santa Marta is the capital city of the Colombian department of Magdalena in the Caribbean Region. It was founded in July 29, 1525 by the Spanish conqueror Rodrigo de Bastidas, which makes it the oldest remaining city in Colombia...
. In 1666 he became bishop of Popoyán, and then archbishop of Charcas
Charcas
Charcas may refer to:* Charcas Province, a province in Potosí Department, Bolivia* Real Audiencia of Charcas, one of six political units of the Viceroyalty of Peru* Charcas, a historical name of Sucre, capital of Bolivia...
in 1667.
He was sent as visitador (inspector) to Nuevo Reino de Granada in what is now Colombia in 1671 because of the inaction of Diego de Villalba y Toledo
Diego de Villalba y Toledo
Diego de Villalba y Toledo, marqués de Campo, señor de la Villa de Santacruz de Pinares was a Spanish general of artillery and colonial governor in America...
, president of the Audiencia there. He replaced Villabla in that position on June 2, 1671. At the same time he served as interim governor and captain general of Nuevo Reino de Granada.
He was archbishop of Lima in 1678 when he was appointed viceroy of Peru. As viceroy, he improved the fortifications of the port of 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...
to defend against attacks by Dutch filibuster
Filibuster (military)
A filibuster, or freebooter, is someone who engages in an unauthorized military expedition into a foreign country to foment or support a revolution...
s. He repressed rebellions of the clergy, who were opposed to the nomination of prelates from Spain — the Franciscans in Cuzco
Cusco
Cusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...
and the Dominicans
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
in Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
.
On the death of the Peruvian astronomer Doctor Francisco Ruiz Lozano
Francisco Ruiz Lozano
Francisco Ruiz Lozano was a Peruvian soldier, astronomer, mathematician and educator.Ruiz Lozano was born in Oruro . He studied with the Jesuits in Lima at the College of San Martín. It was here that he acquired his love of mathematics. He also studied hydrography, as a mathematical science...
, Viceroy Liñán y Cisneros (with the approval of the Crown) gave mathematics a permanent position in the University of San Marcos
National University of San Marcos
The National University of San Marcos is the most important and respected higher-education institution in Peru. Its main campus, the University City, is located in Lima...
. Mathematics was attached to the chair of cosmography. Doctor Juan Ramón Koening, a Belgian by birth, was named to the chair.http://sisbib.unmsm.edu.pe/Bibvirtual/Tesis/Ingenie/Ccente_P_E/cap2.htm
As a reward for his services, the Spanish Crown granted Liñán y Cisneros the title of conde de la Puebla de los Valles. He wrote Ofensa y defensa de la libertad eclesiástica (Offense and Defence of Ecclesiastical Liberty). He died in Lima in 1708.