Pedro de Aguado Spanish historian and priest Country: Italy

Biography of Pedro de Agüado

Pedro de Agüado was a Spanish historian and priest who served as a Franciscan missionary in the Kingdom of New Granada (Colombia). He is known for his posthumously published work "Historical Collection," which recounts the conquest of South America. Agüado was born in Valdemoro, although the exact date of his birth remains uncertain. Some sources suggest that he was baptized on January 23, 1513, while others mention 1538 as his birth year. He came from a family that held significant economic and social influence.

Little is known about Agüado's early life before he became a priest and his journey to America. Unfortunately, no records have been preserved in the local church or municipality. Historian Pedro Simon mentions that Agüado studied theology and mathematics, although his own book does not contain any information about mathematics or astronomy. In his work, Agüado quotes several ancient peoples (Babylonians, Sodomites, Jews, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans), as well as various emperors, heroes, and historians. However, his quotes do not position him as a scholar. In terms of law and theology, he presents commonly held beliefs of the time regarding conquest, encomienda, and the evangelization of indigenous peoples, without citing theologians or jurists.

As a Franciscan monk, Pedro de Agüado traveled to the New World in 1561. He was part of a group of 50 priests led by Friar Luis Zapata, who was appointed as the commissioner-reformer of the Franciscan Order in Peru. On February 4, 1561, an account of expenses for their maintenance was recorded by the Trade House of Seville. Agüado arrived in the New Kingdom of Granada by sailing up the Magdalena River with five other priests, beginning his work as a missionary preaching the Gospel to the indigenous people. On June 12, 1562, a letter from several priests in Santa Fe includes Agüado's signature. He served as a parish priest for the indigenous communities of Cogua, Nemeza, and Peza for two years. Recently discovered documents also indicate that he served as a priest in Bosa. Agüado explored the province of Panche and likely visited the city of Cartagena, but by then, he held the position of Provincial Head of the Order.

It is known that Agüado served as the prelate of the Santa Fe monastery and possibly also in Tunja. On June 29, 1573, he was appointed as the Provincial Head of the Franciscan Order. Two years later, on January 13, 1575, he received permission from the Royal Audience to return to Spain to submit a petition to the Head of the Order, requesting 20 priests for the evangelization of the indigenous peoples. Agüado settled in the Monastery of Saint Francis in Madrid. In 1583, he was granted permission to return to America, and by 1585, he was already in Santa Fe de Bogota (Colombia). The date and place of his death remain unknown.