Francisco Vallés facts for kids

Francisco Vallés, a famous Spanish doctor.

One of Vallés's books from 1556.

A book by Vallés about distilled waters and measurements (1592).

The tomb of Francisco Vallés in Alcalá de Henares.

Francisco Vallés (born October 4, 1524, in Covarrubias – died September 20, 1592, in Burgos) was a very important Spanish doctor. People often called him Divino Vallés because he was so brilliant. He is known as the best example of medical knowledge during the Renaissance in Spain.

His Life and Work

Francisco Vallés was born in a town called Covarrubias. He traveled and studied in many cities across Europe. During his studies, he met Andrea Vesalius, who was a famous doctor. Vallés later became the personal physician to King Philip II of Spain. This meant he was the king's main doctor and the chief physician for all the kingdoms of Castile.

Vallés spent most of his life in Alcalá de Henares. There, he taught medicine at the university. He was the first teacher in Alcalá to focus on how the human body works in medicine.

Besides being a doctor, Vallés was also a great thinker and writer. He wrote many books. In his later years, he worked at the Monastery of El Escorial. He prepared medicines there using natural plants.

Francisco Vallés passed away in Burgos. He was buried in the chapel of the Colegio Mayor de San Ildefonso in Alcalá de Henares. Years later, in 1794, two Spanish plant scientists, Ruiz and Pavón, named a South American shrub "Vallesia" to honor him.

See also

In Spanish: Francisco Valles para niños

• Alcalá de Henares
• Covarrubias
• Medical history
• General practitioner
• University of Alcalá