An almost unknown seventeenth century personality: aspects of its presence in mining exploration at the service of the Viceroyalty of Peru, or as an architect in Lima and Valdívia

Abstract

The author analyses some cultural and scientific contributions of one unknown portuguese engineer and architect, Constantino de Vasconcelos, c. 1600-1668, who travelled from Madrid to Peru, serving Iberic empire the first half of XVII century, in cityes such us Cuzco, Potosí and Lima. His action, inclusive in metallurgy domines (since documents existant in Biblioteca Geral da Universidade de Coimbra), began in 1629-30 in the empire, serving Spanish Bishop, D. Fernando de Vera y Zuniga, member of the Order of Saint Augustine (since he was appointed by the King of Spain and confirmed by Pope Urban VIII as Archbishop of the Diocese of Cuzco). This traveller, who has worked in the mines and has studied the technical conditions of the explored silver in the mines where he was present, has not returned to Portugal and he is now studied in North American universities for his contributions in the religious Architecture in that country.