Andrés Rodríguez de Villegas (1580 – July 1631) was a Spanish soldier who served as governor and captain-general of the Province of

Isla Margarita Margarita Island (, ) is the largest island in the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, situated off the north west coast of the country, in the Caribbean Sea. The capital city of Nueva Esparta, La Asunción, is located on the island. History ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

(1619–1626) and as governor of

Spanish Florida Spanish Florida () was the first major European land-claim and attempted settlement-area in northern America during the European Age of Discovery. ''La Florida'' formed part of the Captaincy General of Cuba in the Viceroyalty of New Spain, and th ...

(1630–1631).

Biography

Early years

de Villegas was born in 1580, in

San Juan, Puerto Rico San Juan ( , ; Spanish for "Saint John the Baptist, John") is the capital city and most populous Municipalities of Puerto Rico, municipality in the Commonwealth (U.S. insular area), Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the ...

; he was the son of Antonio Rodríguez de Villegas, a hidalgo,

oidor An () was a judge of the Royal ''Audiencias'' and ''Chancillerías'', originally courts of Kingdom of Castile, which became the highest organs of justice within the Spanish Empire. The term comes , referring to the judge's obligation to listen ...

and licentiate (holder of an advanced university degree). In 1604, Villegas joined the infantry of the

Spanish Army The Spanish Army () is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest Standing army, active armies – dating back to the late 15th century. The Spanish Army has existed ...

, where he spent 15 years. He then joined the royal

Spanish Navy The Spanish Navy, officially the Armada, is the Navy, maritime branch of the Spanish Armed Forces and one of the oldest active naval forces in the world. The Spanish Navy was responsible for a number of major historic achievements in navigation ...

, sailed to the

Moluccas The Maluku Islands ( ; , ) or the Moluccas ( ; ) are an archipelago in the eastern part of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located in West Melanesi ...

, the Philippines and other islands, and was appointed a

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

(''Capitán de navío''), rising to the rank of "

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

" (''Almirante'') of the South Sea (Pacific Ocean). In 1607, Rodríguez's oldest brother, Antonio Rodríguez de Villegas, was appointed commissioner by the

Viceroy of New Spain This article lists the viceroys who ruled the Viceroyalty of New Spain from 1535 to 1821 in the name of the monarch of Spain. In addition to viceroys, this article lists the highest Spanish governors of the viceroyalty, before the appointment o ...

, the Marquess of Montesclaros (''Marquesado de Montesclaros''), Juan de Mendoza y Luna, to ascertain the cause of the death of the captain general of the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

, Pedro Bravo de Acuña, in exchange for the office of interim governor.

Political career

Governor of the province of Margarita

Villegas was appointed governor of

Isla de Margarita Margarita Island (, ) is the largest island in the Venezuelan state of Nueva Esparta, situated off the north west coast of the country, in the Caribbean Sea. The capital city of Nueva Esparta, La Asunción, is located on the island. History ...

, and arrived there on June 6, 1619. Taking office on August 1, he wrote immediately to King Philip III to inform him of the neglected defenses of Araya and the pressing need to improve them, as Dutch interlopers were extracting large amounts of salt from the nearby salt pans. The Dutch attacked the Araya Peninsula twice in 1620, but were repulsed by Spanish forces, as had happened previously in November 1605.Centro de Estudios y Experimentación de Obras Públicas de España. "Puertos y fortificaciones en América y Filipinas. Actas del seminario, 1984" (in English: Center for Studies and Experimentation of Public Works of Spain in "Ports and Fortifications in America and the Philippines. Proceedings of the Seminar). Editorial C.E.E.O.P, 364 pages, 1985. Page p. 353. On January 15, 1622, a number of Dutch boats came to Araya to load cargoes of salt, followed by a fleet of 27 Dutch ships which set about building two forts and saltworks, an event which coincided with a decree by Madrid to construct fortifications to defend the salt pans.Herrero Sánchez, Manuel; "La explotación de las salinas de punta Araya. Un factor conflictivo en el proceso de acercamiento hispano-neerlandés, 1648-1677" (in English: The Exploitation of the Saltpans of the Araya Peninsula. A Conflicting Factor in the Hispanic-Dutch Approach, 1648-1677). Number 14, Editorial Complutense de Madrid, 1993. Pages 173-194. On 22 February, Villegas decided to immediately leave

Pampatar Pampatar is a city on Isla Margarita, Nueva Esparta State, Venezuela. It is located in the Maneiro Municipality. Pampatar lies 10 km (6 mi) northeast of Porlamar. A coastal town which was founded 1552. Its strategic importance becom ...

with reinforcements of 20 soldiers and 12 Waikerí bowmen under his command to engage the Dutch troops at Santiago. The soldiers refused to join him, however, when he launched his attack, and seeing the main Dutch party land to the eastward, he abandoned the attempt; his troops were able, however, to prevent the Dutch from landing at the harbor of Pueblo de la Mar, with several Dutch soldiers being killed.http://zeerovery.nl/history/margrita.htm The Attack on the Island Margarita By a royal decree of March 13, 1622, construction of the fortress at Araya was to proceed. On 30 November 1622, a fleet of 43 Dutch ships attacked Araya to halt construction of the Spanish fortress and seize the peninsula. After two months of fighting, the invasion fleet was expelled by Spanish forces on January 13, 1623. Plano del castillo de Araya c

On April 24, 1623, Villegas met with the governor of New Andalusia, Diego de Arroyo, and military engineers Juan Bautista Antonelli and Cristobal Roda Antonelli, to determine the criteria of plans for the proposed fortress. Governor Rodríguez presented his own plan to the

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...

, but the one submitted by Roda prevailed. On May 15, Rodríguez sent a letter with the plan for the project. By January 1625, he had built the first

bastion A bastion is a structure projecting outward from the curtain wall of a fortification, most commonly angular in shape and positioned at the corners of the fort. The fully developed bastion consists of two faces and two flanks, with fire from the ...

of the ''Real Fortaleza de Santiago de Arroyo de Araya'' (Royal Fortress of Santiago of Arroyo of Araya), but on February 6 he wrote the king that the structure had collapsed because its foundations were too close to the beach, exposing them to undermining by ocean waves. Villegas relinquished command of Margarita Island to Garcia Álvarez de Figueroa, on June 1, 1625. According to the Royal Court, he was a just governor and zealous in administrative affairs.Morón, Guillermo; en "Historia de Venezuela. La estructura provincial" (in English: Venezuela's history. The provincial structure). Editorial Italgráfica, año 1971. Page 34.

Governor of ''La Florida'' and last years

On June 23, 1630, Andrés Rodríguez de Villegas was appointed governor of '' La Florida'', a position he held until September 21, 1631 (however, Amy Bushnell says his term ended in July 1631) when he died in office. He was replaced by co-interim governors Nicolas Ponce de Leon, the provincial royal accountant (''

contador Contador may refer to: * Contador, an official of the Spanish royal treasury; see Spanish colonization of the Americas People with the surname *Alberto Contador (born 1982), Spanish cyclist * Javiera Contador (born 1974), Chilean actress Places ...

''), and

Sergeant Major Sergeant major is a senior Non-commissioned officer, non-commissioned Military rank, rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. History In 16th century Spain, the ("sergeant major") was a general officer. He commanded an army's ...

Eugenio Espinosa. They governed provisionally until they were replaced by

Luis de Horruytiner Luis Benedit y Horruytiner (? – ?) was a Spanish colonial administrator who held office as governor of Spanish Florida (July 29, 1633 – November 26, 1638), and viceroy of Sardinia. He was the uncle of Pedro Benedit Horruytiner, who succeeded h ...

, who governed from July 29, 1633 to 1638. Andrés Rodríguez de Villegas died in office as governor of ''La Florida'' on September 29, 1631 in

St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...

, capital of Spanish Florida, of unknown causes.

References

External links

Block "Santísima. Desde el ventanal: Araya implora una fortaleza" (in Spanish: From the window: implores Araya fortress). Analysis of map of Andrés Rodríguez de Villegas about Araya, Venezuela
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rodriguez de Villegas, Andres Royal governors of La Florida Viceroyalty of Peru people 1633 deaths Year of birth unknown 1580 births