Bernardo Perez de Vargas (
fl.
''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...
1545-1569) was a Spanish writer on several topics. He translated and wrote works in astronomy, alchemy and on mining. His most important work, ''De re metalica'' (1569), was on mining and metallurgy and drew extensively from previously published works in other language. He titled himself as "magnífico caballero" (= grand knight) but very little is known about him.
De Vargas was born in Madrid but grew up in the town of
Coín
Coín () is a town and municipality in the Province of Málaga, Spain, c. 33 km west of the provincial capital, Málaga, and about 30 km north of Marbella. The town has an official population of 22,000 inhabitants.
Foreigners now make ...
(
Málaga
Málaga (; ) is a Municipalities in Spain, municipality of Spain, capital of the Province of Málaga, in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. With a population of 591,637 in 2024, it is the second-most populo ...
) where his father worked (possibly as a tax collector) in the service of the
Marquis of Villena, who was also Lord of Monda and Tolox. He described himself as the son of Bernardo Pérez (or possibly Juan) de Vargas and Guiomar de Cárdenas (or Torres), both from Madrid and little else is known. His main work ''De re metalica'' (1569) included translations from and references to the work of
Georgius Agricola
Georgius Agricola (; born Georg Bauer; 24 March 1494 – 21 November 1555) was a German Humanist scholar, mineralogist and metallurgist. Born in the small town of Glauchau, in the Electorate of Saxony of the Holy Roman Empire, he was b ...
(who wrote a ''De re Metallica'' in 1556). He also drew from ''De la pirotechnia'' (1540) by
Vannoccio Biringuccio
Vannoccio Biringuccio, sometimes spelled Vannocio Biringuccio (c. 1480 – c. 1539), was an Italian metallurgist. He is best known for his manual on metalworking, ''De la pirotechnia'', published posthumously in 1540.
20th Century translation by ...
. About seven copies of his book are known and it was printed in Madrid by the French printer Pierres Cosin who opened the first printing press in Madrid in 1566 with the bookseller Alonso Gómez. The book was translated into French in the mid-18th century. De Vargas also wrote a book on chivalry in 1545 titled ''Los cuatro libros del valeroso Caballero D. Cirongilio de Tracia'' printed in Seville by Cromberger. (This book is mentioned in the satire of
Cervantes
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra ( ; ; 29 September 1547 (assumed) – 22 April 1616 NS) was a Spanish writer widely regarded as the greatest writer in the Spanish language and one of the world's pre-eminent novelists. He is best known for his no ...
' ''Don Quixote'' as being in the library of the innkeeper Palomeque.) In 1563 he wrote a book on astrology titled ''La Fabrica del Universo o Repertorio Perpetuo'' (="Factory of the Universe or Perpetual Repertoire") published by Juan de Ayala
oledo
References
External links
Description of ''De Re Metalica''Scan of ''De Re Metalica'' 1569''Traité singulier de metallique''
(French translation, 1743)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vargas, Bernardo Perez De
Spanish scientists
Writers from Madrid