Félix Torres Amat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Félix Torres Amat
Born	(1772-08-06)6 August 1772 Sallent de Llobregat, Spain
Died	29 December 1847(1847-12-29) (aged 75) Madrid, Spain
Nationality	Spanish
Known for	Spanish translation of the bible
Seat T of the Real Academia Española
In office 1847 – 29 December 1847
Preceded by	Demetrio Ortiz
Succeeded by	Jaime Balmes

Félix Torres Amat (born August 6, 1772 – died December 29, 1847) was an important Spanish Bishop. He is best known for translating the Bible into Spanish so that more people could read it. He also wrote about famous authors from Catalonia.

Early Life and Studies

Félix Torres Amat was born in a town called Sallent de Llobregat in Spain in 1772. His parents were Joseph Torres and Teresa Amat.

He loved learning languages from a young age. Later, he joined his uncle, Felix Amat, in Tarragona. There, he earned a special degree in Philosophy.

Félix Torres Amat became a teacher. He taught subjects like philosophy, math, and theology. In 1806, he became a Canon at the Collegiate Church of San Ildefonso. This was an important religious position.

Translating the Bible

The Sagrada Biblia was illustrated by Gustave Doré

In 1824, Félix Torres Amat finished a big project. He published a new translation of the Bible into everyday Spanish. The kings of Spain, Carlos IV and Fernando VII, had asked him to do this.

It was sometimes hard for him to publish his translation. He even got help from people in London to pay for it.

In 1834, he became the Bishop of Astorga. The next year, he met a man named William Harris Rule from Gibraltar. They both believed it was important for people to read the Bible in their own language.

Félix Torres Amat was chosen to join the Real Academia Española. This is a very respected group that looks after the Spanish language. He held a special position there for a short time.

His Bible translation is often called the Torres Amat Bible [es]. Later versions of this Bible included beautiful pictures by a famous artist named Gustave Doré.

Other Important Works

Besides the Bible, Félix Torres Amat wrote another very important book. It was called Reports to help form a critical dictionary of Catalan writers and give some idea of the ancient and modern literature of Catalonia.

This book was based on the work of his brother. His brother was a leading librarian in Barcelona. He had started to make a list of important Catalan authors. Félix Torres Amat continued and expanded this work.

Félix Torres Amat passed away in Madrid on December 29, 1847.

Books by Félix Torres Amat

• Treaty of the Church of Jesus Christ, 1793–1805.
• Art of living in peace, 1821.
• The happiness of Christian death, 1832.
• Life of the Hon. Mr. D. Felix Amat, 1835.
• Reports to help form a critical dictionary of Catalan writers and give some idea of the ancient and modern literature of Catalonia, 1836.
• Pastoral, 1838.
• Advantages of a good Christian, 1839.
• Translation of the Bible into Spanish, 1823.

See also

In Spanish: Félix Torres Amat para niños