Ambrosio de Benavides
Ambrosio de Benavides Medina Liñán y Torres ( born January 20, 1718, Granada, Spain, † April 27, 1787 in Santiago de Chile) was a Spanish colonial official who served as governor of Puerto Rico, Charcas and Chile.
Origin and Youth
Ambrosio Benavides arrived in Andalusia, the son of Juan Carlos Benavides de Mesia Ponce de León and his wife María Teresa de Medina Liñán y Torres to the world. His father was head of the Inquisition of the province of Córdoba, a senior official of the royal administration.
Ambrosio hit with 20 years of a military career relatively late one, in which he rose to the Colonel (1761 ).
Governance in Puerto Rico and Charcas
In 1760 he was appointed by King Ferdinand to the royal governor of Puerto Rico. In 1766 he was recalled to Spain and appointed on 21 February 1768 the governorship in Charcas. There he arrived on November 18, 1768 and retained the office until 20 September 1778.
Governance in Santiago
In January 1780, he was appointed head of the General Captaincy of Chile. The news reached him in May 1780 in Buenos Aires, and he went on his way. In Mendoza, he spent the winter and reached Santiago on December 11 to take up his post. The arduous journey impaired his health long term.
Immediately upon his arrival, it came to the conspiracy of the three Antonios: Inspired by the ideals of the Enlightenment and the founding of the United States of America wanted Gramusset Antonio and Antonio Berney, both Frenchmen, together with José Antonio de Rojas, a local Creoles, an independent republic build in Chile. The plan failed and the three leaders were arrested on 1 January 1781 before possible unrest could spread.
Benavides ' tenure was overshadowed by a natural disaster in the fall of 1783. After an earthquake, the Santiago shook on 13 April 1783 entered into force on June 16, 1783 the Río Mapocho after days of rainfall overflowed its banks and flooded the main artery of Alameda and large parts of the city, so that at the end of the city like an island from the floods stood out.
Under the Gouvernat Benavides, the Italian architect Joaquín Toesca began with the construction of the coin ( La Moneda, and later still the presidential palace in Santiago); also first plans were drawn to build a canal to the Río Maipo to regulate water levels. These plans were then reacted under Luis Muñoz de Guzmán in the fact, the completion of which, however, until 1820 was slow in coming.
Benavides office leadership earned him respect and recognition among the local population.
Reforms under Charles III.
King Charles III. ordered sweeping reforms of the colonial administration to take into account the growth of the colony. The Captaincy General was divided into two Intendencias: From Santiago to the north of the country was administered ( from Copiapo to the Río Maule ), which took over directorship Benavides itself, supported by Alonso de Guzmán y Peralta as assistants. The southern part of the country from the Río Maule to the Río Valdivia managed the directorship of Concepción; as intendant appointed Benavides Ambrosio O'Higgins, in turn, the young lawyer ( and later leader of the independence movement ) Juan Martínez de Rozas took to the wizard.
The island of Chiloe was not part of Intendency and was spun also from the Captaincy General and reports directly to the viceroy of Peru.
The appointment of military governors of Valparaíso and Valdivia kept the king in front of himself.
Benavides died at the age of 69 years in office. He is buried in the Cathedral of Santiago.