Miguel de Olivares facts for kids
Miguel de Olivares (1675–1768) was a Chilean priest and historian. He was a member of the Society of Jesus, also known as the Jesuits. He traveled a lot and wrote important books about the history of Chile.
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Early Life and Missionary Journeys
Miguel de Olivares was born in Chillán. He joined the Society of Jesus, a group of Catholic priests and brothers. As a missionary, he started traveling around 1701. He visited many places in Chile, including Quillota, Polpaico, Tiltil, and Limache.
From 1712 to 1720, he led missions in Nahuelhuapi and Calbuco. In 1730, he was in Concepción when a big earthquake destroyed the city in July.
Writing Chilean History
Because he traveled so much, Miguel de Olivares had a great chance to study old records from the Jesuit archives. Around 1736, while in Santiago, he began to write his history of Chile.
From 1740 to 1758, he worked in the Araucania missions. There, he learned the language of the local Indigenous people. He planned to write a full history of Chile. However, King Charles III ordered all Jesuits to leave the country. Even though Olivares was very old, he had to leave Chile.
Exile and Lost Manuscripts
When he arrived in Lima, the viceroy, Manuel de Amat, took his handwritten books. The viceroy's secretary, Jose Perfecto Salas, got the second part of Olivares's book, "Historia militar, civil y sagrada de lo acaecido en la conquista y pacificación del Reino de Chile."
From Imola, Italy, Olivares tried to get his manuscripts back. The king himself ordered the president of Chile, Ambrosio O'Higgins, to send them to Spain. This was done, but Miguel de Olivares died in Imola before his writings arrived in Madrid.
Legacy and Published Works
A complete version of his main work, along with "Historia de la Compañía de Jesus en Chile 1593–1736," was published in Santiago in 1870. The Chilean historian Diego Barros Arana added notes to these books.
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