Juan Ignacio Molina
Encyclopedia
Fr. Juan Ignacio Molina (June 24, 1740 – September 12, 1829) was a Chile
an Jesuit priest
, naturalist
, historian
, botanist, ornithologist and geographer
. He is usually referred to as Abate Molina (form of Abbott Molina), and is also sometimes known by the Italian
form of his name, Giovanni Ignazio Molina.
a big farm located near Villa Alegre
, in the current province of Linares
, in the Maule Region of Chile. His parents were Agustín Molina and Francisca González Bruna.
He was educated at Talca
and the Jesuit College at Concepción
. He was forced to leave Chile in 1768 when the Jesuits were expelled. He settled in Bologna
and became professor of natural sciences there. He wrote Saggio sulla Storia Naturale del Chili (1782), which was the first account of the natural history of that country, and described many species to science for the first time.
who was in Europe regarded an expert on the Americas and accused him of "always attempting to degrade and discredit the Americas". Some of Pauw's statements on the supposedly poor aspects of the mineral wealth
of the Americas were countered by Molina as well as Pauw's claims on the shorter lives of people that inhabited the Americas.
Molina expressed support for a sedimentary origin
of basalt
in Ensayo sobre la historia natural de Chile where he pointed out the fact that basalt
occurred both in the Andes
and in coast of Chiloé
where there were no sign of eruption and believed basalt to be a sort of compacted slate
with vesicles.
As early as 1787 Molina mentioned the possibility of South America being populated from south Asia through the "infinite island chains" of the Pacific while North America could have been populated from Siberia.
and Pavon
dedicated him Molina, later considered a subgenus of Baccharis
by Heering (Reiche
1902), and recently F. H. Hellwig recreated as Neomolina and ranked as genus. Other authors dedicated Moliniopsis, a genus of Gramineae, as synonym of Molinia
Schrank
nom.illeg.
Molina has also been linked to the naming of the genus Maytenus
.
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
an Jesuit priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, naturalist
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
, historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
, botanist, ornithologist and geographer
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
. He is usually referred to as Abate Molina (form of Abbott Molina), and is also sometimes known by the Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
form of his name, Giovanni Ignazio Molina.
Biography
Molina was born at GuaraculénGuaraculén
Guaraculén was a large hacienda and hamlet, located near Villa Alegre, in the current province of Linares, in the Maule Region of Chile.Guaraculén was the birthplace of the famed Jesuit Priest, naturalist and cronist Juan Ignacio Molina , who was forced to leave Chile in 1768 when the Jesuits were...
a big farm located near Villa Alegre
Villa Alegre, Chile
Villa Alegre a commune and city located in Linares Province, Maule Region of Chile. With , Villa Alegre is the smallest commune by area in the Maule Region. It sits above sea level.-Demographics:...
, in the current province of Linares
Linares Province
Linares is one of four provinces of the central Chilean region of Maule . The provincial capital and most populous center is the city of Linares.-Administration:...
, in the Maule Region of Chile. His parents were Agustín Molina and Francisca González Bruna.
He was educated at Talca
Talca
Talca is a city and commune in Chile located about south of Santiago, and is the capital of both Talca Province and Maule Region . As of the 2002 census, the city had a population of 193,755....
and the Jesuit College at Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
. He was forced to leave Chile in 1768 when the Jesuits were expelled. He settled in Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
and became professor of natural sciences there. He wrote Saggio sulla Storia Naturale del Chili (1782), which was the first account of the natural history of that country, and described many species to science for the first time.
Scientific work
As a scientist native to the Americas Molina was very critical of the work Cornelius de PauwCornelius de Pauw
Cornelius Franciscus de Pauw or Cornelis de Pauw was a Dutch philosopher, geographer and diplomat at the court of Frederick the Great of Prussia.-Biography:...
who was in Europe regarded an expert on the Americas and accused him of "always attempting to degrade and discredit the Americas". Some of Pauw's statements on the supposedly poor aspects of the mineral wealth
Ore
An ore is a type of rock that contains minerals with important elements including metals. The ores are extracted through mining; these are then refined to extract the valuable element....
of the Americas were countered by Molina as well as Pauw's claims on the shorter lives of people that inhabited the Americas.
Molina expressed support for a sedimentary origin
Sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock are types of rock that are formed by the deposition of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles to settle and accumulate or minerals to precipitate from a solution....
of basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
in Ensayo sobre la historia natural de Chile where he pointed out the fact that basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
occurred both in the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
and in coast of Chiloé
Chiloé Archipelago
Chiloé Archipelago consists of several islands lying off the coast of Chile. It is separated from mainland Chile by Chacao Channel in the north, the Sea of Chiloé in the east and Gulf of Corcovado to the southeast. All of the archipelago except Desertores Islands, which are part of Palena...
where there were no sign of eruption and believed basalt to be a sort of compacted slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
with vesicles.
As early as 1787 Molina mentioned the possibility of South America being populated from south Asia through the "infinite island chains" of the Pacific while North America could have been populated from Siberia.
Botanical taxonomy
RuizHipólito Ruiz López
Hipólito Ruiz López , or Hipólito Ruiz, was a Spanish botanist known for researching the floras of Peru and Chile during an expedition under Carlos III from 1777 to 1788...
and Pavon
Ruiz y Pavón
-Ruiz et Pavón:Ruiz y Pavón Spanish form of the combination Ruiz et Pavón, as used as authority in plant species.-Joseph Pavón:Jose Antonio Pavón y Jimenez Spanish botanist, with Hipólito Ruiz López and the French specialist Dombey visited between 1779 and 1788 Chile, Peru and other South American...
dedicated him Molina, later considered a subgenus of Baccharis
Baccharis
Baccharis is a genus of perennials and shrubs in the aster family . They are commonly known as baccharises but sometimes referred to as "brooms", because many members have small thin leaves resembling the true brooms. They are not at all related to these however, but belong to an entirely...
by Heering (Reiche
Karl Friedrich Reiche
Karl Friedrich Reiche was a German botanist who worked as a university professor in Chile and Mexico.-Life:Reiche was born in Dresden and earned his doctorate in 1885 in Leipzig. He worked as a professor in Dresden and Constitución, Chile...
1902), and recently F. H. Hellwig recreated as Neomolina and ranked as genus. Other authors dedicated Moliniopsis, a genus of Gramineae, as synonym of Molinia
Molinia
Molinia is a genus of two species of grasses. The genus is named after Juan Ignacio Molina, a 19th century naturalist and scientist from Chile.Species*Molinia caerulea . Northern Europe and Asia....
Schrank
Franz Paula von Schrank
Franz von Paula Schrank was a German botanist and entomologist.Schrank was the first director of the botanical gardens in Munich from 1809 to 1832.Shrank was the first author to use the genus name Triops...
nom.illeg.
Molina has also been linked to the naming of the genus Maytenus
Maytenus
Maytenus is a genus of flowering plants in the staff vine family, Celastraceae. Members of the genus are distributed throughout Central and South America, Southeast Asia, Micronesia and Australasia, the Indian Ocean and Africa...
.
See also
- Miguel de OlivaresMiguel de OlivaresMiguel de Olivares was a Chilean priest and historian.Miguel de Olivares was born at Chillán. He joined the Society of Jesus, became a missionary, and as such began about 1701 to travel through the territories of Quillota, Polpaico, Tiltil, Limache, and others...
- Alonso de OvalleAlonso de OvalleFr. Alonso de Ovalle was a Chilean Jesuit priest and chronicler of Chilean history, author of the Historica relacion del Reyno de Chile y de las missiones y ministerios que exercita en él la Compañía de Jesus, describing the Conquest of Chile and the Arauco War.-External links:* Alonso de Ovalle,...
- List of Jesuit scientists
- List of Roman Catholic scientist-clerics