Luis MuÃ±oz de GuzmÃ¡n

Luis Muñoz de Guzmán (* 1735 in Seville, Spain, † February 1808 in Santiago de Chile) was a Spanish officer and 1802-1808 Governor in the Captaincy General of Chile.

He was married to Luisa Esterripa.

Career in the Spanish fleet

Muñoz pursued a career as an officer in the Spanish Navy. Under the reign of King Charles III. 1774 he took part in battles against Morocco and was involved in 1777 on the Spanish side in the battles against the Portuguese in Brazil. He arrived in 1779 to the rank of naval captain and fought in the battles against the English, the failed attempt to recapture Gibraltar for Spain. In 1789 he was promoted to commander of the fleet.

Career in the colonial administration

1791 appointed him king Charles IV to the top colonial administrator of the province of Quito - in the form of the Presidency of the Real Audiencia de Quito. He held until 1796 this office. After his retirement he lived in Lima in Peru. At the age of 66 years, he was appointed in 1801 as governor of Chile.

Government as governor of Chile

In 1802 he took office as governor.

Measures

Muñoz de Guzmán took some measures to improve the infrastructure of the backward Chile.

Under Muñoz 's reign the streets of Santiago were paved, and he did finish some buildings that had begun its predecessors, including the coin La Moneda (now the presidential palace in Chile ), the Palace of the Real Audiencia (now the National History Museum of Santiago) and the Cajas Reales.

Finally, he campaigned for the introduction of smallpox vaccination.

Not completed measures

He also began some time held plans to build a canal to supply water from the Río Maipo to Santiago to implement, but could not complete the construction of a lack of money. It was not until 1820 that the canal would eventually inaugurated as San Carlos Canal ( construction work dragged on until 1825 then).

Style of government

Muñoz de Guzmán was respected by the people and popular. His wife Luisa Estrerripa had been maid of honor to the Queen in Spain. She founded the first salon in the French style, they shaped the fashion of the time and was considered a promoter of theater performances and concerts. Her husband was interested in culture: At the suggestion of the Governor, a literary society founded.

The couple took an active part in social life. The Guzman founded also the custom of the summer by the sea for the gehobende society of Santiago.

Luis Muñoz de Guzmán died in February 1808 at the age of 73 years in Santiago de Chile. His successor took over first chairman of the Real Audiencia, Juan Rodríguez Ballesteros, who is in April to the highest-ranking officer, Francisco Antonio García Carrasco, handed.

Sources and links

Short Biography ( Spanish)
Biography at Icarito ( Spanish)

Reign of Charles V: Diego de Almagro | Pedro de Valdivia | Francisco de Villagra | Rodrigo de Quiroga | (Francisco de Aguirre )

Reign of Ferdinand VI. Domingo Ortiz de Rozas | Manuel d' Amat i de Junyent

Reign of Ferdinand VII: Juan Rodríguez Ballesteros | Francisco Antonio García Carrasco | Mateo de Toro Zambrano y Ureta | Mariano Osorio | Casimiro Marcó del Pont

Governor (Chile)
Military person (Spain )
Spaniard
Born in 1735
Died in 1808
Man

Royal Governor of Chile Portugal England Charles IV of Spain Royal Audiencia of Quito La Moneda Palace Francisco de Aguirre (conquistador) Fernando Talaverano Gallegos Lope de Ulloa y Lemos Francisco de Meneses Brito Philip V of Spain Manuel Silvestre de Salamanca Cano Juan de Balmaseda y Censano Beltrán Francisco Javier de Morales y Castejón de Arroyo Mateo de Toro Zambrano, 1st Count of La Conquista Andalusia

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