Francisco Javier Clavijero facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Francisco Javier Clavijero
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19th century imagined depiction of Clavijero
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Francisco Javier Clavijero Echegaray
9 September 1731 |
| Died | 2 April 1787 (aged 55) |
| Resting place | Rotunda of Illustrious Persons, Mexico City, Mexico |
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Francisco Javier Clavijero Echegaray (born September 9, 1731 – died April 2, 1787) was a Mexican Jesuit priest, teacher, and historian. After the Jesuits were forced to leave Spanish lands in 1767, he moved to Italy. There, he wrote an important book about the history and cultures of Mesoamerica before the arrival of Europeans. This included the ancient civilizations of the central Mexican highlands.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Francisco Javier Clavijero was born in Veracruz, Mexico. His father was Spanish, and his mother was a Criolla (someone of Spanish descent born in the Americas). His father worked for the Spanish government. This meant the family often moved to different towns.
Many of these towns had a large number of native people. Because of this, Clavijero learned the Nahuatl language as he grew up. His family lived in places like Teziutlán, Puebla, and later Jamiltepec in the Mixtec region of Oaxaca.
Clavijero's friend and biographer, Juan Luis Maneiro, wrote about his childhood. He said that Francisco spent a lot of time with native people. He learned about their customs and nature. He also explored the land, looking at plants, animals, and minerals. The local people would take him to any place that interested him, like mountains or caves.
School Days
Clavijero started his studies in Puebla. He went to the college of San Jerónimo for grammar. Then he attended the Jesuit college of San Ignacio. There, he studied philosophy, Latin, and theology.
After these studies, he thought about becoming a priest. He entered a seminary in Puebla, Puebla. But soon, he decided to join the Jesuits instead. In 1748, he moved to a Jesuit college in Tepotzotlán, State of Mexico. There, he continued his Latin studies. He also learned many other languages, including ancient Greek, French, Portuguese, Italian, German, and English.
In 1751, he returned to Puebla for more philosophy studies. Here, he discovered the ideas of famous thinkers. These included Descartes, Newton, and Leibniz.
Next, he went to Mexico City. He finished his studies at the Colegio de San Pedro y Pablo. He joined a group of bright students. This group is now known as the "Mexican humanists of the eighteenth century." Even while he was still a student, he began teaching. He was later put in charge of teaching rhetoric at the Jesuit seminary. This was special because he was not yet a priest.
Becoming a Priest and a Historian
In 1754, Clavijero became a priest. He started teaching at the Colegio de San Gregorio. This school was created to educate young native people. He taught there for five years.
During this time, he became very interested in Mexican history. His biographer, Juan Luis Maneiro, noted that Clavijero spent these years carefully studying old documents. These documents were about the Mexican nation. He found many valuable facts that he later used in his famous history book.
Clavijero was very dedicated to his studies. He spent a lot of time looking at Aztec codices. These were ancient Mexican picture books. He also read books from the time of the Spanish Conquest. He admired Carlos de Sigüenza y Góngora, who also studied these topics. Clavijero loved the ancient cultures of Mexico. He worked hard to understand the old writings in the codices.
Clavijero was later moved to the Colegio de San Javier in Puebla. This school also taught native youth. He taught there for three years. In 1764, he moved again to Valladolid (now Morelia). There, he taught philosophy. He had new ideas about philosophy. His good work led him to a similar teaching job in Guadalajara. In Guadalajara, he finished his book Physica Particularis. This book, along with Cursus Philosophicus, showed his scientific and philosophical ideas.
Leaving Mexico and Writing in Italy
In 1767, King Charles III ordered all Jesuits to leave Spanish lands. This was part of bigger changes happening in Europe. So, on June 25, 1767, Clavijero had to leave Mexico.
He first went to Ferrara, Italy. But he soon moved to Bologna, Italy. He lived there for the rest of his life.
In Italy, Clavijero focused on his historical research. He no longer had access to the Aztec codices or other original documents from Mexico. But he remembered a lot from his earlier studies. He was able to write the book he had always wanted to write: La Historia Antigua de México (The Ancient History of Mexico).
While in Italy, he read a book by a Prussian writer named Cornelius de Pauw. This book showed Clavijero that many Europeans did not understand the ancient American cultures. This made him even more determined to write his history. He wanted to show the true story of Mexico.
He worked for years on his history book. He used Italian libraries and wrote to friends in Mexico. His friends helped him by checking original documents back home. Finally, his book was ready. It had ten volumes and told the story of Mexican culture before the Spanish conquest.
Clavijero wrote the book in Spanish. But he translated it into Italian with the help of friends. The book was published in Cesena in 1780-81. Scholars liked it very much. It was soon translated into English and German. It was also translated back into Spanish and published many times in Mexico. The original Spanish version was finally published in 1945.
Clavijero's Important Books
La Historia Antigua de México starts by describing the Anáhuac region. Then it tells the story of the Aztec people's journeys. It covers their government, wars, religion, customs, and culture. For the first time, it set out a timeline for the native peoples. The book ends with the history of the Spanish Conquest up to the capture of Cuauhtémoc.
Unlike many writers of his time, Clavijero saw the native people as peaceful and good. He strongly criticized what the Spanish conquistadors did. Today, some historians find Clavijero's work a bit emotional. However, many still read it for detailed information about daily life in early America.
Besides La Historia Antigua de México, Father Clavijero also published these works:
- Historia de la Antigua o Baja California, Venice, 1789. This book has four volumes. It summarizes the work of Jesuit missionaries in Baja California. These missionaries included Miguel Venegas and Juan María Salvatierra. This book was an early example of careful historical research, paying close attention to where information came from.
- Physica particularis. This was an essay.
- Cursus philosophicus. This was a long paper.
- A history of the appearances of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
- Frutos en que comercia o puede comerciar la Nueva España. This essay was about products that New Spain (Mexico) traded or could trade.
- Many letters, essays, and papers about Mexican culture, science, philosophy, and other topics.
His Lasting Impact
Father Francisco Javier Clavijero passed away in Bologna, Italy, on April 2, 1787. He was 56 years old. He did not live to see his book Historia de la Antigua o Baja California published.
On August 5, 1970, Father Clavijero's remains were brought back to Veracruz, where he was born. He was honored as a great son of Mexico. He is now buried in the Rotonda de los Personajes Ilustres (Rotunda of Illustrious Persons) in Mexico City.
Many schools, libraries, gardens, streets, and parks across Mexico are named after him. These include:
- Biblioteca Francisco Xavier Clavigero, a library at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City.
- Clavijero Botanical Garden, in Xalapa.
See also
In Spanish: Francisco Javier Clavijero para niños
