ZEVALLO y BALBOA, Miguel - A Stan Klos Biography
ZEVALLO y BALBOA, Miguel
(thay-val'-yo), Spanish missionary, died in Quito about 1595. He joined early
the army, and served in the Netherlands and Italy, but entered the Franciscan
order and went to South America in 1566. In the convent of his order at Santa Fe
de Bogota a lay friar, Juan de Orozco, communicated to him some documents
relating to American antiquities, and he was induced to undertake their study.
He was afterward attached to the missions of Nicaragua, and
in 1576 became librarian of a convent in Quito. After that time he devoted
himself to the study of ancient Indian monuments, receiving encouragement from
Bishop Pedro de la Penia.
In 1586 he finished his "Miscelanea Austral" and dedicated
it to the Count de Villar, viceroy of Peru; but the work was not printed till
Henry Ternaux-Compans translated it into French and published it in his
collection under the title "Histoire du Perou" (Paris, 1840).
Zevallo's narrative contradicts in several important
particulars that of Garcilaso de la Vega., and contains many details about the
early history of Peru which are not found elsewhere. The original manuscript is
preserved in the archives at Seville, and a copy is in the National library at
Paris.
Edited Appletons Encyclopedia by John Looby, Copyright © 2001 VirtualologyTM
ZEVALLO y BALBOA, Miguel (thay-val'-yo), Spanish missionary, died in Quito about 1595. He joined early the army, and served in the Netherlands and Italy, but entered the Franciscan order and went to South America in 1566. In the convent of his order at Santa Fe de Bogota a lay friar, Juan de Orozco, communicated to him some documents relating to American antiquities, and he was induced to undertake their study, He was afterward attached to the missions of Nicaragua, and in 1576 became librarian of a convent in Quito. After that time he devoted himself to the study of ancient Indian monuments, receiving encouragement from Bishop Pedro de la Penia. In 1586 he finished his " Miscelanea Austral" and dedicated it to the Count de Villar, viceroy of Peru; but the work was not printed till Henry Ternaux-Compans translated it into French and published it in his collection under the title "Histoire du Perou" (Paris, 1840). Zevallo's narrative contradicts in several important particulars that of Garcilaso de la Vega., and contains many details about the early history of Peru which are not found elsewhere. The original manuscript is preserved in the archives at Seville, and a copy is in the National library at Paris.
