The Publication of the Relaciones de los Virreyes in Lima, 1859-1901

Abstract

This article studies the process of collecting, printing, and disseminating the Relaciones de los Virreyes in Lima between the mid-19th and early 20th centuries. The purpose of these reports was to bring to light useful documentation for writing the so-called national history. To this end, we begin by reviewing the development of these reports from the independence period to the creation of the National Archives. We then focus on their dissemination as a source of knowledge about the past. However, due to the number of reports disseminated, and to avoid mentioning each one, we chose to focus on the intellectuals who contributed to their printing and dissemination: Manuel Atanasio Fuentes, Sebastian Lorente, Manuel de Odriozola, Jose Toribio Polo, and Carlos Romero.