Portocarrero, Melchor

Melchor Portocarrero with the rank of lieutenant general of the cavalry fought under the leadership of Juan of Austria Ml. in Sicily, Flanders, Catalonia and Portugal. In 1658, at the battle of Dunkirk, he lost his right hand, after which he made a prosthesis made of silver, and the soldiers began to call him “silver hand” ( Spanish Brazo de Plata ).

Melchor Portocarrero also served on the Council of India and the Royal Military Council on India.

On April 17, 1686, Portocarrero was appointed King Carlos II Viceroy of New Spain . He arrived in Mexico only on November 30 and 1688, and from that day on, his term in office is officially counted.

During his reign, active work was carried out to resist the British and French, who were gaining influence in the region.

Melchor Portocarrero ordered the construction of a new aqueduct for water supply in Mexico City , the aqueduct built already under another Viceroy had 904 stone arches and a length of 3908 meters. Portocarrero paid part of the cost of his money. The aqueduct was completed only after almost a hundred years, in 1779 .

On August 12, 1689, a new city was founded in New Spain, named after Viceroy Santiago de la Monclova . 150 families were settled in the city, as well as about 270 well-armed men to repel any possible French attack with which Spain was then at war. It was also the beginning of the construction of many new forts in the north of the province.

By his decision, almost all foreign priests who did not have permission to preach were expelled from the colony.

On May 3, 1688, Portocarrero was appointed to the post of vice-king of Peru, he became the last vice-king of New Spain, appointed from this post in Peru. He transferred control of the new Spain to the new Viceroy of Gaspard de la Cerda on November 19, 1688, but was unable to sail to Peru until next year due to lack of transport. Having sailed from Acapulco, he arrived in Peru on May 11, 1689.

The most important task of the new Viceroy was the restoration of Lima after the devastating earthquake that occurred on October 20, 1689 . Under him, the church of Copacabana and the hospital were restored. Also with him, in 1694, the reconstruction of the most important port of Peru in Callao began .

During his reign, a series of devastating natural disasters occurred, in 1698 an earthquake completely destroyed the cities of Tacunha and Ambato , and in 1701 there was a severe flood in Trujillo .

Portocarrero died in Lima on September 15, 1705 .

• "Portocarrero y Lasso de la Vega, Melchor," Enciclopedia de México , v. 11. Mexico City, 1988. (Spanish)
• García Puron, Manuel, México y sus gobernantes , v. 1. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrua, 1984. (Spanish)
• González Obregón, Luis, Los acueductos, México viejo , 1945. (Spanish)
• Orozco Linares, Fernando, Gobernantes de México . Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985, ISBN 968-38-0260-5 . (Spanish)