José de la Canal
Encyclopedia
José de la Canal was a Spanish ecclesiastical historian.
He was born to poor parents, in Ucieda, a village in Cantabria
, Spain
. Under the care of an uncle, an Augustinian friar, he studied in the Dominican
and Augustinian convents of Burgos
; at Burgos, in 1785, he was formally received into the Augustinian Order. Subsequently he became professor of philosophy, first at the convent of his order at Salamanca
, and then at Burgos.
Returning from the latter place to Salamanca he was librarian of the university, from 1789 to 1800. After spending four years in Toledo
, he came to Madrid, where he taught philosophy in the College of San Isidro
. On account of certain articles in a paper of liberal tendencies called El Universal, he was, on the return to Spain of King Ferdinand VII, confined for one year in a convent near Ávila. At the end of this period he returned to Madrid and with his brother Augustinian, Fr. Antolin Merino, was appointed by the King to continue the monumental España Sagrada (Holy Spain), begun in 1743 by the Augustinians Henrique Flórez and Manuel Risco
. This valuable collection of documents and researches relating to Spanish ecclesiastical history had already reached its forty-second volume. The work embraces an account of the foundation and vicissitudes of all Spanish dioceses, the succession of the Spanish hierarchy, the most important monasteries, and other matters of interest to the Spanish Church studied in their original sources. From the time of his appointment Canal devoted himself to his task.
In order to collect material for the publication, he undertook two journeys into Catalonia
, making his headquarters at Barcelona
and Girona
, and working in the archives of these cities. In conjunction with Father Merino he published vols. XLIII-XLIV of the "España Sagrada" in Madrid in 1819; vols. XLV-XLVI (Madrid, 1826–32) were due to Father Canal alone. These volumes deal with the churches and monasteries of the diocese of Girona, and contain many hitherto unpublished documents and critical investigations. To his collaborator Father Canal dedicated a biographical study in his Ensayo histórico de la vida literaria del Maestro Fr. Antolin Merino (Madrid, 1830); he also published a second edition, greatly enlarged by himself, of the Clave historial (Key to History) by Father Flórez (Madrid, 1817) and a Manual del Santo Sacrificio de la Misa (Madrid, 1817, 1819). He translated from the French various theological and historical works, and was successively corresponding member, treasurer, censor, and director of the Royal Academy of History. He belonged to the Academy of Natural Science of Madrid, to the Academy of Belles-Lettres of Barcelona, and to the Antiquarian Society of Normandy.
Father Canal was reportedly noted for charity to the poor. He refused the See
of Girona in 1836 notwithstanding the entreaties of Queen Isabella II, excusing himself on the count of age and ill health, and declaring he believed he could better serve God and his country if he continued to devote the remainder of his life to historical research. He died in Madrid
in 1845.
He was born to poor parents, in Ucieda, a village in Cantabria
Cantabria
Cantabria is a Spanish historical region and autonomous community with Santander as its capital city. It is bordered on the east by the Basque Autonomous Community , on the south by Castile and León , on the west by the Principality of Asturias, and on the north by the Cantabrian Sea.Cantabria...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Under the care of an uncle, an Augustinian friar, he studied in the Dominican
Dominican Order
The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
and Augustinian convents of Burgos
Burgos
Burgos is a city of northern Spain, historic capital of Castile. It is situated at the edge of the central plateau, with about 178,966 inhabitants in the city proper and another 20,000 in its suburbs. It is the capital of the province of Burgos, in the autonomous community of Castile and León...
; at Burgos, in 1785, he was formally received into the Augustinian Order. Subsequently he became professor of philosophy, first at the convent of his order at Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
, and then at Burgos.
Returning from the latter place to Salamanca he was librarian of the university, from 1789 to 1800. After spending four years in Toledo
Toledo, Spain
Toledo's Alcázar became renowned in the 19th and 20th centuries as a military academy. At the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 its garrison was famously besieged by Republican forces.-Economy:...
, he came to Madrid, where he taught philosophy in the College of San Isidro
Colegio Imperial de Madrid
Colegio Imperial de Madrid was the name of a Jesuit teaching institution in Madrid....
. On account of certain articles in a paper of liberal tendencies called El Universal, he was, on the return to Spain of King Ferdinand VII, confined for one year in a convent near Ávila. At the end of this period he returned to Madrid and with his brother Augustinian, Fr. Antolin Merino, was appointed by the King to continue the monumental España Sagrada (Holy Spain), begun in 1743 by the Augustinians Henrique Flórez and Manuel Risco
Manuel Risco
Juan Manuel Martínez Ugarte , known as Manuel Risco or Padre Risco, was a Spanish historian. Born at Haro, he took the Augustinian habit at the Convento de Nuestra Señora del Risco in the Diocese of Ávila...
. This valuable collection of documents and researches relating to Spanish ecclesiastical history had already reached its forty-second volume. The work embraces an account of the foundation and vicissitudes of all Spanish dioceses, the succession of the Spanish hierarchy, the most important monasteries, and other matters of interest to the Spanish Church studied in their original sources. From the time of his appointment Canal devoted himself to his task.
In order to collect material for the publication, he undertook two journeys into Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, making his headquarters at Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
and Girona
Girona
Girona is a city in the northeast of Catalonia, Spain at the confluence of the rivers Ter, Onyar, Galligants and Güell, with an official population of 96,236 in January 2009. It is the capital of the province of the same name and of the comarca of the Gironès...
, and working in the archives of these cities. In conjunction with Father Merino he published vols. XLIII-XLIV of the "España Sagrada" in Madrid in 1819; vols. XLV-XLVI (Madrid, 1826–32) were due to Father Canal alone. These volumes deal with the churches and monasteries of the diocese of Girona, and contain many hitherto unpublished documents and critical investigations. To his collaborator Father Canal dedicated a biographical study in his Ensayo histórico de la vida literaria del Maestro Fr. Antolin Merino (Madrid, 1830); he also published a second edition, greatly enlarged by himself, of the Clave historial (Key to History) by Father Flórez (Madrid, 1817) and a Manual del Santo Sacrificio de la Misa (Madrid, 1817, 1819). He translated from the French various theological and historical works, and was successively corresponding member, treasurer, censor, and director of the Royal Academy of History. He belonged to the Academy of Natural Science of Madrid, to the Academy of Belles-Lettres of Barcelona, and to the Antiquarian Society of Normandy.
Father Canal was reportedly noted for charity to the poor. He refused the See
Episcopal See
An episcopal see is, in the original sense, the official seat of a bishop. This seat, which is also referred to as the bishop's cathedra, is placed in the bishop's principal church, which is therefore called the bishop's cathedral...
of Girona in 1836 notwithstanding the entreaties of Queen Isabella II, excusing himself on the count of age and ill health, and declaring he believed he could better serve God and his country if he continued to devote the remainder of his life to historical research. He died in Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
in 1845.