# Pedro Aguado

## Biography

Pedro de Aguado was a Spanish Franciscan friar and an early chronicler of the New World. Born in Valdemoro, Spain, in either 1513 or 1538, he embarked for the New Kingdom of Granada, encompassing modern-day Colombia and Venezuela, around 1560 or 1561. He dedicated approximately fifteen years to missionary work among the indigenous populations, serving as a pastor in areas such as Cogua, where he oversaw the construction of churches. Aguado later became a provincial minister for the Franciscan order in Santafé de Bogotá.

He is primarily remembered for his extensive historical work, "Recopilación historial," which meticulously documented the conquest and early colonial history of the region. Despite his efforts to publish the manuscript during his lifetime, bureaucratic challenges prevented its release, and it remained unpublished until the twentieth century. This significant account drew upon various sources and his own observations, providing valuable insights into the era. Aguado returned to Spain around 1575 for a period and is believed to have died in the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century.

## Books

- [Historia de Venezuela, Tomo I](https://samolit.com/books/96255)