Gabriel de Avilés y del Fierro, 4th Marquis of Avilés () ( 1735 – September 19, 1810) was a Spanish military officer and colonial administrator in the Americas. He was governor of Chile, viceroy of

Río de la Plata The Río de la Plata (; ), also called the River Plate or La Plata River in English, is the estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River at Punta Gorda, Colonia, Punta Gorda. It empties into the Atlantic Ocean and ...

, and viceroy of

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

Early life

Gabriel de Avilés was born in

Vic Vic, vic or VIC may refer to: People and fictional characters * Vic (name), a list of people, fictional characters and mascots with the given name * V.I.C. (rapper) (born 1987), stage name of an American rapper Places * Vic, Spain, a town and ...

in the province of

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, the son of José de Avilés, 1st Marquis of Avilés, ''

intendente An intendant (; ; ) was, and sometimes still is, a public official, especially in France, Spain, Portugal, and Latin America. The intendancy system was a centralizing administrative system developed in France. In the War of the Spanish Success ...

'' of

Aragon Aragon ( , ; Spanish and ; ) is an autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. In northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces of Spain, ...

and

Valencia Valencia ( , ), formally València (), is the capital of the Province of Valencia, province and Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, the same name in Spain. It is located on the banks of the Turia (r ...

, and of Carmen del Fierro. He entered the military at a young age. He was sent to Chile as a cavalry instructor in 1768. After two years at Arauco, he was sent to Peru as subinspector general of the army. He married Mercedes del Risco y Ciudad, a Peruvian woman with a reputation for such kindness that she is known to history as ''la santa virreina''.

In Peru

In 1780, the anti-Spanish revolt of

Túpac Amaru II Tupac Amaru II (born José Gabriel Condorcanqui Noguera, – 18 May 1781) was an Indigenous ''cacique'' who led a Rebellion of Túpac Amaru II, large Andean rebellion against the Viceroyalty of Peru, Spanish in Peru as Self-proclaimed monarc ...

erupted. The rebels had initial successes, and there were fears that the insurrection would engulf the entire viceroyalty. Avilés, then a colonel, was sent with a Spanish force to the defense of

Cusco Cusco or Cuzco (; or , ) is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountain range and the Huatanay river. It is the capital of the eponymous Cusco Province, province and Cusco Region, department. The city was the cap ...

. The reinforcements arrived the day before the rebels began a siege of the city. The rebel force was estimated to be as many as 60,000 men. The situation was not easy for the Spanish; they feared not only the besieging force, but also the possibility of an uprising of the Indigenous within the city itself. Nevertheless, the resistance was successful. Túpac Amaru was forced to raise the siege and retreat to

Tungasuca Tunka Suka (Aymara ''tunka'' ten, ''suka'' furrow, "ten furrows", hispanicized spelling ''Tunga Suca'') is a mountain in the Andes of Peru, about high. It is located in the Cusco Region Cusco, also spelled Cuzco (; ), is a department and ...

. Viceroy Agustín de Jáuregui sent a force of 22,000 men in pursuit. Túpac Amaru was defeated, betrayed, captured, and subsequently brutally executed, along with his family. For his part in putting down the rebellion, in 1785 Avilés was promoted to brigadier and made governor of

Callao Callao () is a Peruvian seaside city and Regions of Peru, region on the Pacific Ocean in the Lima metropolitan area. Callao is Peru's chief seaport and home to its main airport, Jorge Chávez International Airport. Callao municipality consists ...

. He remained in Peru until 1795, when he was promoted to lieutenant general and sent back to Chile, this time as governor.

As Governor of Chile

He took up the position in September 1795, replacing

Ambrosio O'Higgins Ambrosio Bernardo O'Higgins y O'Higgins, 1st Marquess of Osorno (c. 1720 – 19 March 1801) born Ambrose Bernard O'Higgins (''Ambrós Bearnárd Ó hUiginn'', in Irish), was an Irish-Spanish colonial administrator and a member of the O'Higgins f ...

. ( José de Rezabal y Ugarte had held the position briefly in between.) In

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile (), is the capital and largest city of Chile and one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is located in the country's central valley and is the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Regi ...

Avilés rebuilt the Hospital San Juan de Dios. He reopened the old

Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

college of San Pablo, as an asylum for paupers. He and the ''cabildo'' (city council) of Santiago worked together to improve the bridge works on the

Mapocho River The River Mapocho () ( Mapudungun: ''Mapu chuco'', "water that penetrates the land") is a river in Chile. It flows from its source in the Andes mountains onto the west and divides Chile's capital Santiago in two. Course The Mapocho begins at the ...

, the paving of the streets, and the beautifying, cleaning and security of the city. The capital got its first public lighting. The governor toured the colony and ordered the construction of churches and public works in many places. Avilés supported Licenciado Manuel de Salas in his projects of stimulating the production of linen and the foundation of the Academy of San Luis (1797). During his term the ''Tribunal del Consulado'' was established. This was a tribunal to decide commercial and industrial disputes. Avilés remained as governor only until October 1796, when he was posted to

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

as viceroy of Río de la Plata.

As Viceroy of Río de la Plata

He was viceroy in Buenos Aires until 1801, when he was promoted to viceroy of Peru.

As Viceroy of Peru

Once again he replaced Ambrosio O'Higgins. (

Manuel Arredondo y Pelegrín Manuel Antonio Arredondo y Pelegrín was a Spanish judge, soldier and colonial administrator in Peru and Ecuador. Briefly in 1801 he was interim viceroy of Peru. Biography Arredondo arrived in Peru in 1779 as an ''oidor'' (judge) of the '' Aud ...

, president of the '' Audiencia'' of Lima had held the position on an interim basis, pending Avilés's arrival.) At the end of his mandate in 1806 he remained in Lima for some years. In 1810, he embarked for Spain, via the

Strait of Magellan The Strait of Magellan (), also called the Straits of Magellan, is a navigable sea route in southern Chile separating mainland South America to the north and the Tierra del Fuego archipelago to the south. Considered the most important natura ...

. He became seriously ill and was forced to stop in

Valparaíso Valparaíso () is a major city, Communes of Chile, commune, Port, seaport, and naval base facility in the Valparaíso Region of Chile. Valparaíso was originally named after Valparaíso de Arriba, in Castilla–La Mancha, Castile-La Mancha, Spain ...

, where he died on September 19, 1810. Avilés had a reputation as a man of good character, kind and pious.

Notes

References

External links

Short biography

Some biographical details
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aviles, Gabriel 1730s births 1810 deaths People from Vic Viceroys of Peru Viceroys of the Río de la Plata Royal governors of Chile Marquesses of Spain Spanish generals 18th-century Spanish nobility 19th-century Spanish nobility