Antonio de Viana

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Literature · Subcategory: Literary street map

Antonio de Viana (La Laguna, Tenerife, 1578 - ?1650?) was a Canarian historian, doctor and poet. He studied Medicine in Seville, graduating in 1606. It is possibly in this city where he met Lope de Vega.

From 1607 he served the Cabildo de Tenerife to care for the patients of the hospital. He also held the post of surgeon doctor at the Cardinal's Hospital in Seville. In 1630, due to the notable increase in his fame, his contemporaries from Tenerife managed to convince him to return to the island, with his former post splendidly remunerated. In 1633 he moved to Las Palmas, where he practised much of his profession. He was the doctor of Bishop Murgas, further enhancing his reputation among members of courts and high-ranking personalities from other bodies who at that time resided in the city of Gran Canaria.

Regarding his role as historian and poet, it is said that in his writings he invented some of the Guanche names that appear. Viera y Clavijo also based some of his writings on the poet Viana's work for part of the History of the Canary Islands, with the consequent error in the naming of the aboriginal names that have persisted to our time.

28.096889, -15.415772