Francisco Javier Clavijero (September 6th 1731, Veracruz - April 2nd 1787, Bologna), was a Jésuite, teacher, professor and historian of News-Spain. In 1767 when the King of Spain gives the order to expel the Jesuits, it is constrained to be exiled in Italy where it writes an important work on the Mexico.

Youth

It was born in Veracuz from a Spanish father and a mother Criolla. His/her father worked for the Couronne of Spain in the administration; this is why it was regularly transferred with its family of one city to the other, generally in areas with strong indigenous presence. Thus Clavijero learned any young person the Nahuatl, language which was useful for him then. The family lived thus with Teziutlàn, Puebla, and, later, in Jamiltepec, in the mixtèque area of Oaxaca.

Its Biographer, Juan Shine Maneiro, written:

Dès its childhood, it on the occasion to mix closely with the indigenous population, to in detail learn its temperament and its habits, and to attentively study the many specific things to this ground, whether they are plants, animals or minerals. There was no high mountain, of obscure cave, pleasant valley, source, brook or any other place likely to attract its curiosity, that the Indians did not show him in order to please to him (...)

Education

It began its studies with Puebla, where, about 1743, it studied grammar with the college of San Jerónimo, then it went to the college Jésuite of San Ignacio to start studies of Philosophie, Latin and Théologie. At the end of these studies, feeling a vocation for priesthood, it entered to the Séminaire of Puebla. After some hesitations, it wished to become Jesuit, and, little time afterwards, in February 1748, it joined the college of this kind with Tepoztlán in the state of Morelos. While improving its Latin knowledge, it learned there the old Greek , the French, the Portuguese, the Italian , the German and the English. In 1751, it was sent again to Puebla for thorough studies of philosophy. There it took note of work of philosophers, such as Gassendi, Purchot, Of Hamel, Descartes, Newton and Leibniz. It is of this period of its life which this interest came to him that it always showed for the new currents of critical thought, which reflect in obviousness the need for modifying the scientific studies and philosophical time.

Then, to continue the program of studies established by the Jesuits, it was sent to Mexico City, the college of San Pedro there Pablo, to supplement her theological and philosophical formation. There it met other students of scale belonging to his order, such as Jose Rafaël Compoy, Andrés Cavo, Francisco Javier Alegre, Juan Luis Maneiro (which was its biographer), and Pedro Jose Márquez, a group known today under the name of the “humanistic Mexicans of the XVIIIe century”. Whereas it was always student, it started to teach, and was named prefect of the college of San Ildefonso. A little later, its superiors entrusted to him the pulpit of Rhétorique to the Great Seminar of the Jesuits, exceptional nomination, because it was not ordered yet priest.

Sacerdotal wishes, teaching and historical research

About 1755, it was devoted priest Jesuit, and it started to teach with the college of San Gregorio, created at the beginning of the colony to give education and Christian training with the young natives. It spent there five years, during which it realized how much were obsolete the methods employed as regards training of young people. With precaution, it submitted its opinion to its superiors, and went even until their proposing reforms inspired by its readings, which had opened the spirit with modernity to him. In margin of its tasks of teacher, it continued his historical research. As well as known as its biographer:

Durant these five years, it examined with a great curiosity all the document concerning with the Mexican nation, which had been collected in great number with the College of San Pedro there Pablo. With much of efforts, he managed to extract some from invaluable treasures, which he published later in the history that he intended for the postérité.

However its stay with the College of San Gregorio was not free from problems. In a letter dated April 3rd, 1761, the Father Pedro Reales, general vicar of the Society of Jesus, reproach him that “you completely shook the yoke of obedience, while answering by a I do not want with those which fix you your duties, as that arrived yesterday, or, at least, it is this answer which was repeated with the Superior, who, in truth, does not know more how to make so that you deal with your work and achieve it until the end. You to affect elsewhere is hardly a solution. My Reverend, while you abstrayant itself almost completely with the single objectives by those which live in this College, and by devoting you to other tasks and studies which entirely occupy you, you carry out a life and you give an example which do not satisfy us. ”

It appears clear that these “other tasks and studies” which occupied the Clavidejo Father were not other than the codices Aztèques and the books dating from the Conquest, which had been given to the College of San Pedro there Pablo by Carlos de Sigüenza there Góngora. According to the biography of Maneiro, Clavidejo took Sigüenza like example in its research, and it was charmed of its benevolence and its love for the Indians. He admired also much the culture of these Indians before their contact with Europeans, and he never ceased trying to decipher the ideograms appearing in the codices.

Probably because of the warning given by the Father Pedro Reales, Clavidejo was transferred to the College of San Javier in Puebla, also intended for the education of Indian youth. He taught there during three years. In 1764, it was again transferred to Valladolid (today Morelia), to teach philosophy with the Great Seminar of this city. More rationalist that its predecessors, he was an innovator in the field. Achieved good work with Valladolid was worth to him to be promoted in the same station with Guadalajara, city more important than its two preceding assignments. It was in Guadalajara that it finishes its treaty Physica Particularis , which, with Cursus Philosophicus , reveal its scientific and philosophical thought.

Expulsion of the Jesuits and work of Clavijero in Italy

The Society of Jesus, although powerful and influential, had detractors and enemies. The missionaries Jesuits had worked in a peaceful way almost since the foundation of this Kind in Spain News, when on June 25th, 1767 reached them the order given by the king Charles III to withdraw itself from all the Spanish colonies. When Clavijero left its native soil, it went first of all to Ferrara, in Italy, then is established with Bologna, where it remained until its death.

In Italy, it devoted its time to its historical research. Although it did not have any more access to the Aztec codices, its books of reference, nor with the reports of the first Spanish Conquistadors, it had kept in memory of its preceding studies much of necessary informations. It was able to write the work which it had always had the intention to make, Historia Antigua Of Mexico City . In Italy, a work of the Prussian Cornelius Paw held its attention. It was entitled philosophical Recherches concerning the Americans . This book revealed the extent of the ignorance to him which Europeans of the American culture had précolombienne, which encouraged it to complete its work in order to expose the true story of Mexico.

He worked during several years on his Old story of Mexico , consulting libraries Italian and corresponding with friends remained to Mexico, so that they consult for him the original works. Lastly, its work was completed: composed of ten volumes, he tells the true Mexican culture of before the Spanish conquest. The original manuscript was in Spanish, but, with the assistance of some Italian friends, the Clavijero Father translated it in this language. The book was published in Césène into 1780/1781, and was accommodated by the academics with such a satisfaction, which it was soon translated into German and English, retranslated even in Spanish, and which it knew of many editions in Mexico. It is only well later, in 1945, that the original work was published in Spanish.

Its work

Historia of Mexico City begin with the description of Anáhuac, and continues with the history roves of the Aztec ones. It deals of the policy, the conflicts, the habits, the social organization and the culture of those. It establishes for the first time the chronology of the Indian people, and is concluded with the history from the Conquest until the imprisonment from Cuauhtémoc.

To the difference of much of its contemporaries, Clavijero introduces the Indians like peaceful and good beings, whereas he criticizes the Spanish intrigues of Conquistadores severely. Today the work of Clavijero is regarded as too sentimental and not very reliable, but it is read always much by the historians who seek detailed informations on the daily life of the American first.

In addition to Historia Antigua of Mexico City , Clavijero published the following works:

• Historia of the Antigua O Baja California , Venice, 1789,4 volumes. It is a summary of work of the missionaries Jesuits of Baja California, such as Miguel Venegas, Juan Maria Salvatierra, Eusebio Francisco Kino, Juan de Ugarte, Francisco Maria Piccolo, Fernando Consag. English translations were published with San Francisco in 1864 and Los Angeles in 1938. It is a precursor of the university historical modern method, characterized by the care taken to the sources.
• Physica particularis . Test
• Course philosophicus . Memory
• a history of the appearances of the Vierge of Guadalupe
• Frutos in that comercia O puede comerciar Nueva España . Test
• Of many letters, tests, memories treating of the Mexican culture, natural science, philosophy and other subjects.

Epilog

The Father Francisco Javier Clavijero died on April 2nd, 1787 at 4 p.m. at the 56 years age. He did not see the publication of Historia of the Antigua O Baja California . August 5th, 1970, its remainders were repatriated in Veracruz, its birthplace, and they were accepted with the honors due to a famous son. He is now buried with the Rotonda of los Personajes Ilustres in the the Pantheon Dolores of Mexico City.

Schools, libraries, botanical gardens, avenues and parks in all Mexico were baptized of its name.

“The posterity will judge according to its works how much Clavijero was large” His/her friend, his colleague, and his biographer, Père Juan Luis Maneiro.

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