Basilio Villarino (1741 – 1785) was a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

of the Spanish Royal Navy who traveled around the southern tip of South America. In 1837 some of his writings were published as ''Diario de la Navegación Emprendida en 1781, Desde el Rio Negro, para Reconocer la Bahia de Todos los Santos, las Islas del Buen Suceso, y el Desague del Rio Colorado''.

Early life

Basilio Villarino was born in Noia, Spain, in 1741.

Voyages

In 1773 Villarino arrived to the Rio de la Plata as assistant pilot of the

frigate A frigate () is a type of warship. In different eras, the roles and capabilities of ships classified as frigates have varied somewhat. The name frigate in the 17th to early 18th centuries was given to any full-rigged ship built for speed and ...

''Perpetua'', commanded by Captain Bustillos. From 1778 he performed a detailed reconnaissance of the Patagonia, during which he explored the sea shores and the rivers Negro, Colorado, Limay and

Deseado Deseado may refer to: Geographic names and features * Deseado (crater), a crater on the planet Mars * Deseado Department, a department in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina * Deseado Massif, a geological formation in Santa Cruz Province, Argentina * De ...

among others. In 1779 he participated in the expedition led by Francisco de Viedma, during which the town of Carmen de Patagones was founded; in 1782 he navigated the rivers Negro, Limay and Collón Curá in four

chalupas A chalupa () is a specialty dish of south-central Mexico, including the states of Hidalgo, Puebla, Guerrero, and Oaxaca. Description Chalupas are made by pressing a thin layer of masa dough around the outside of a small mold, in the process ...

called ''San Jose'', ''San Juan'', ''San Francisco de Asis'' and ''Champagne'', accompanied by a local chieftain. In 1783 he discovered the Choele Choel island, although the exploration was suspended due to the permanent attack of the natives.

Death

Villarino was killed by the aboriginals in January 1785, during an expedition to

Sierra de la Ventana Sierra de La Ventana is a village in Tornquist Partido in the southwest of the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. With a population of 1,819 inhabitants (), it is one of the most attractive tourist centres in the Province and has numerous recreat ...

commanded by Juan de la Piedra.

Legacy

In Argentina, Villarino's legacy as an explorer of Patagonia has been recognized by naming several places after him, including: a lake and a river in Neuquén, a department subdivision in Buenos Aires (

Villarino Partido Villarino Partido is a partido in the south of Buenos Aires Province in Argentina. The provincial subdivision has a population of about 26,500 inhabitants in an area of , and its capital city is Médanos, which is located from Buenos Aires an ...

), and some schools. An

Argentine Navy The Argentine Navy (ARA; es, Armada de la República Argentina). This forms the basis for the navy's ship prefix "ARA". is the navy of Argentina. It is one of the three branches of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic, together with the ...

1880s steamer, ARA ''Villarino'', used on the Patagonian routes, was named after him. In May 1880, the transport ship repatriated the remains of General José de San Martín from France.Transporte ARA Villarino,"Histarmar" website
(accessed 2016-10-22)

References

Notes

Bibliography

External links

* * Spanish naval officers Spanish male writers 1741 births 1785 deaths Spanish explorers of South America {{Explorer-stub