Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra

Who was Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra?

Fray Íñigo Abbad y Lasierra, born in Estadilla, Spain, was a Benedictine monk and the first historian to extensively document Puerto Rico's history, nationality and culture.

Abbad arrived in Puerto Rico in 1771 at age 26 as confessor and personal secretary of the bishop of the diocese of Puerto Rico, Manuel Jiménez Pérez. From 1772 to 1778, as part of his ecclesiastic duties, he visited many towns throughout the island. Also at that time, while accompanying Jiménez Pérez, he visited Cumaná, Isla Margarita, New Barcelona, the Orinoco River, Trinidad, and Venezuela. During these travels he kept a diary named Viage a la América. The book was published as a facsimile in 1974 at Caracas by Banco Nacional de Ahorro y Préstamo.

While living in Puerto Rico he observed and recorded every day Puerto Rican life. In 1788, ten years after leaving Puerto Rico, he published the first comprehensive history of Puerto Rico titled Historia geográfica, civil y natural de la isla de San Juan Bautista de Puerto Rico. In his book he described, in detail, a wide array of aspects of Puerto Rican life.