Martín Casillas (1556–1618) was a Spanish architect (″alarife″), best known for designing the Cathedral of Guadalajara in

Jalisco Jalisco (, , ; Nahuatl: Xalixco), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco ; Nahuatl: Tlahtohcayotl Xalixco), is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal En ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

. His place of birth is disputed between the cities of

Almendralejo Almendralejo () is a town in the Province of Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain. It is situated 45 km south-east of Badajoz, on the main road and rail route between Mérida and Seville. , it has a population of 33,975. It was the site of a battle a ...

and

Trujillo (Cáceres) Trujillo or Truxillo may refer to: Places Colombia *Trujillo, Valle del Cauca, a municipality in the department of Valle del Cauca *Trujillo Province (Gran Colombia), part of the historic republic from 1819 to 1831 Dominican Republic *Ciuda ...

in Extremadura. He trained with

Francisco Becerra Francisco Becerra (c. 1545–1605) was a Spanish architect. Born in Trujillo (Extremadura), he designed and worked on several cathedrals in the New World. Becerra either designed the Puebla Cathedral, or worked on building it to designs by Claud ...

, with whom he would reach new Spain as an apprentice in 1573. Another option is that he arrived later along with Alonso Pablos (or Sanchez), another member of his workshop. He worked then and at least until 1585, in the «medias muestras» (mediums of the toral pillars) of the Cathedral of Mexico, the work directed by Claudio de Arciniega, moving then to the city of Guadalajara. There is documentation of his work in Jalisco, including the transfer of land in the

Valle de Guadalupe, Jalisco Valle de Guadalupe is a village in Jalisco, Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and we ...

. The theatre "Alarife Martin Casillas" of Guadalajara was named in his memory. Martin was part of the militant order of St James. His male descendants are haplogroup R1b P312.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Casillas, Martin 1556 births 1618 deaths 16th-century Spanish architects