Morales, Ambrosio de

He was educated at the University of Salamanca , where he was a student of his uncle, the famous humanist Fernand Perez de Oliva , at that time the rector of the university. After the death of his uncle in 1531 he returned to his hometown.

In 1553 he became a monk and entered the monastery of San Jeronimo de Valparaiso , but after some time he was expelled and left for Alcalá de Henares , where he was soon appointed professor of rhetoric at the local university.

In 1566 he was appointed chronicler of Philip II, king of Spain .

In 1559, by order of King Philip II, he made a study tour to Leon , Galicia, and Asturias , according to the results of which he wrote a report. During the trip, he collected a large number of historical documents that are stored in the Royal Escorial Museum.

Impressed by the results of Morales' trip, the king instructed him to prepare a work on the history and topography of the peoples of Spain, based on information taken from geographical, archaeological, historical and church data collected by Morales.

The literary and historical work of Morales played an important role in saving the legacy of the Mozarabic writers of Cordoba from oblivion.

Other important works were: The General Chronicles of Spain, Ancient Monuments of Spanish Cities, and above all, the documentary value is the work Viage de Ambrosio de Morales por orden del Rey D. Phelippe II a los Reynos de León, y Galicia y Principado de Asturias ” ( Travel of Ambrosio de Morales by order of King Philip II to the kingdoms of Leon, Galicia and Asturias ), published in 1765.

• Ambrosio de Morales (chronicler )