Perez de Vargas, Bernardo

1. Dates

Born: Madrid, date unknown He published a book in 1563, with part of it dated 1560.

Died: Spain, sometime after 1569

Dateinfo: Flourished (two dates give known period)

Lifespan: N/A

2. Father

Occupation: No Information

Perez claimed distinguished lineage and used the title "Magnifico." There is absolutely no evidence independent of his claim.

No information on financial status.

3. Nationality

Birth: Madrid, Spain

Career: Spain

Death: Spain

4. Education

Schooling: No University

Unknown.

5. Religion

Affiliation: Catholic (assumed)

6. Scientific Disciplines

Primary: Metallurgy, Alchemy

Subordinate: Astronomy, Astrology

7. Means of Support

Primary: Unknown

Few biographical details are known. He claimed his parents were of distinguished lineage, and thus he appended the title 'magnifico' to his name.

From Madrid he moved to Malaga, probably to the town of Coin.

8. Patronage

Types: Aristocracy, Court

His Fabrica del universo was dedicated to Pedro Faxardo, Margues de Molina.

His De re metallica was dedicated to the "Principe," which I am pretty sure referred to Philip II.

9. Technological Involvement

Types: None

De re metallica talked about the utility of what it contained, but I found no evidence that Perez was actually involved in any metallurgical operation.

10. Scientific Societies

Memberships: None

Sources

1. Felipe Picatoste y Rodriquez, Apuntes para una bibliotheca cientifica espagnola del siglo XVI (Madrid, 1891), pp. 253-5.
2. José Maria Lopez Piñero, et al., Diccionaria historico de la ciencia moderna en España, 2 vols. (Barcelona: Ediciones Peninsula, 1983). U.G.P. Paoli, "El magnifico caballero Bernardo Perez de Vargas," Revista de la Academia de ciencias de Madrid, 31 (1934), 132- 45.
3. Not consulted: Eugenio Maffei and Ramon Rua Figeroa, Apuntes para una bibliotheca espagnola, 2 vols. (Madrid, 1873).

Compiled by:

Richard S. Westfall

Department of History and Philosophy of Science

Indiana University

Note: the creators of the Galileo Project and this catalogue cannot answer email on geneological questions.