Bartolomé Arzans de Orsúa y Vela facts for kids
Bartolomé Arzans de Orsúa y Vela (born in 1676, died around 1736) was a famous historian and writer from Bolivia. He is best known for writing a huge book about the history of Potosí, a very important mining city in Bolivia.
Contents
Who Was Bartolomé Arzans?
His Family and Early Life
Bartolomé was the son of Mateo Arzáns Dapífer and María Jordana Castro. His father was from Seville, a city in Spain. Bartolomé was given the name Bartolomé Arzáns Dapífer Castro when he was baptized. Later in his life, he decided to use the surnames Orsúa and Vela. We don't know exactly why he changed them.
In 1701, Bartolomé married Juana de Reina y Navarrete. They had a son named Diego. Bartolomé spent his entire working life in Potosí.
A Self-Taught Historian
It's not known where Bartolomé Arzans went to school. People who studied his life believe he taught himself a lot about history and classic books. He worked as a school teacher. He also enjoyed math, going to bullfights, and taking part in all the fun parties and celebrations in Potosí.
The Secret History of Potosí
Starting His Big Book
Bartolomé Arzans began writing his most important work, the Historia de la Villa Imperial de Potosí, in 1705. He worked on it in secret. For at least three years before that, he had been collecting many old documents and materials to help him write the history.
In 1707, he shared a small part of his writing with a friar named Sebastián Izquierdo. The friar used this information in a sermon he gave.
What Was the Book About?
Bartolomé Arzans's history book was very long. It had about 1,500 pages and was split into two large volumes.
The first part of the book started in 1545. This was the year the famous silver hill of Potosí was discovered. This volume covered events up to the end of 1720. The second part of the book continued the story from 1721 and ended in early 1736.
Why Was It Kept Secret?
While Bartolomé was alive, people offered him money to publish his book. They offered between 300 and 500 pesos. But he turned down all these offers. He was afraid of what people might say or if they would criticize his work.
To stop people from trying to publish his book, he spread a story. He said he had given his manuscript to a Spanish merchant named Blas de la Fuente. He claimed the merchant was going to publish it in Europe.
The Journey of His Book
From His Son to a Library
Bartolomé Arzans died in January 1736. His son, Diego Arzáns de Orsúa y Vela, took care of the manuscript. Diego added eight more chapters to the book, covering the years between 1736 and 1750. He hoped to find someone important who would help present the book to the king. But his plan didn't work out.
In 1755, Diego also died. The book then went to a religious leader in Potosí. Eventually, this clergyman had to give the book to the local government official, known as the corregidor. The original manuscript was sent to Spain. It was kept in a special library. Today, it is in the Royal Library of the Royal Palace in Spain.
Finally Published!
A historian named Juan Bautista Muñoz knew about Arzans's text. He used it for his own book, History of the New World. In the 1800s, there were attempts to publish Arzans's book, but they were not successful.
In 1905, an American colonel named George Earl Church bought a copy of the manuscript in Paris. Colonel Church was an expert on Bolivian history. In his will in 1910, he gave the manuscript to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, in the United States.
Finally, in 1965, the book was published! This happened thanks to historians Lewis Hanke and Gunnar Mendoza.
See also
In Spanish: Bartolomé Arzáns de Orsúa y Vela para niños
