Antonio de la Calancha facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Antonio de la Calancha
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| Born | 1584 |
| Died | March 1, 1654 (aged 69–70) |
| Nationality |  Bolivia |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Ethnography |
Antonio de la Calancha (1584–1654) was an important historian and a senior Augustinian friar. He was one of the first people to study the native people of South America.
Biography
Antonio de la Calancha was born in 1584 in Sucre, which is now in Bolivia. His father, Captain Francisco de la Calancha, was from Spain. His mother, Doña Maria de Benavides, was a "Criolla," meaning she was born in the Americas but had Spanish parents.
When he was fourteen, Antonio joined the Augustinian religious order. He studied at the San Ildefonso school in Lima. Later, he earned a high degree in theology (the study of religion) from the University of San Marcos in Lima. He became a very famous preacher.
Antonio traveled a lot throughout the viceroyalty of Peru, which was a large Spanish territory in South America. He lived in Potosí from 1610 to 1614. He also taught in Cusco and was a leader in Trujillo. He even saw the big earthquake that destroyed Trujillo in 1619.
During his travels, he collected many stories and facts for his most famous book. This book was called Coronica moralizada de la orden de San Agustín en Perú. It was published in Barcelona in 1631. The book was later translated into Latin and French. A new edition was printed in Lima in 1653.
Calancha planned to write another volume, but he did not finish it. His student, Father Bernardo de Torres, completed the second part. It was published in 1655. This book was called Chronicle of the Shrines of Our Lady of Copacabana and Prado.
Calancha's books contain a lot of information about the native people of Peru and Bolivia. They describe their religions, customs, and daily lives. The books also include details about geography and history. They are very important for understanding the origins and history of the native people.
He read many old writings by other historians like Polo de Ondegardo and Pablo José Arriaga. He also gathered many local stories and traditions. Calancha believed that Native Americans might be related to people from Asia, like the Tatars. He tried to explain how people came to the Americas using ideas from the Bible.
Antonio de la Calancha died in Lima on March 1, 1654.
See also
In Spanish: Antonio de la Calancha para niños
