Fragmentos de la vida, y virtudes del V. Illmo. y Rmo. Sr. Dr. D. Vasco de Quiroga Primer Obispo de la Santa Iglesia Cathedral de Michoacan, Y Fundador del Real y Primitivo Colegio de S. Nicolas

Author: Juan Jose Moreno, (1730-1820) Year: 1766 Publisher: Imprenta del Real y mas Antiguo Colegio de S. Ildefonso Place: Mexico City Description: [26]+Quiroga portrait+[blank+202+[4]+29+errata pages. Small octavo (7 3/4" x 5 1/2") bound in quarter cloth with five raised spine bands with decorative motifs and lettering in gilt over marbled boards. (Medina 2781; Beristain II:303]) First edition. Vasco de Quiroga (born between 1470-78 - died March 14, 1565) was the first bishop of Michoacan, Mexico and one of the judges (oidores) in the second Audiencia that governed New Spain from January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535. Coming from a background as a lawyer and a judge he was appointed to be a judge in the second Audiencia after the first Audiencias failure. As an oidor he took a strong interest in restoring order to the Michoacan area which had been ravaged by rebellions and unrest. He employed a strategy of congregating indigenous populations into congregated Hospital-towns called Republicas de Indios, organized after principles derived from Thomas More's Utopia. The purpose of this policy was to make the dispersed indigenous populations easier to control and instruct in Christian values and lifestyles. He established two such hospitals: Santa Fe de Mexico close to the town of Tacuba in the Valley of Mexico, and Santa Fe de la Laguna close to Patzcuaro, Michoacan. Because of his reputation as a protector of the Indians, Vasco de Quiroga is venerated as a saint in some communities in Michoacan to this day. Condition: Pages trimmed, facsimile of Quiroga to front end paper, not original to the book, corners gently bumped else very good.