Family stories · Music film · 11:36
Francisco: Silver, Debt and Power
Francisco Báez de Benavides, from Tenerife to the silver country of New Spain.
About this film
From Tenerife’s irrigated valleys to the silver country of northern New Spain, Francisco Báez de Benavides built a life around mines, family and public office. Maps, historical illustrations and surviving record descriptions follow the sales, debts, confrontations and legal complaints that put his power on the record.
Behind the film
The history & the evidence.
The film follows Francisco through mining transactions, local office and legal conflict. Modern official catalog descriptions, published archival history and an attributed published trial account support the story; dated maps and imagery provide its setting.
- Official archive catalogArchivo Histórico de Monterrey: catalog of court and civil records Record descriptions cover the 1619 sale, 1630 armed-priest case, 1646 appointment, 1647 silverworks complaint and 1666 Ayala will.Catalog descriptions consulted; the original case manuscripts were not inspected.
- Published archival historyIsrael Cavazos Garza: La jurisdicción de Monterrey en la época virreinal Humanitas 37-IV (2010), pp. 80–81: mining settlements, the 1616 mineral discovery and district geography.
- Published accountDavid T. Raphael: The Trials of Francisco Báez de Benavides The Conquistadores and Crypto-Jews of Monterrey (2001), chapter 12: the debt, firearm allegation and conflicting testimony.Consulted through indexed text; quoted accounts remain attributed.
- Municipal historyLa Orotava: the working valley Water, mills, agriculture and the valley’s changing export economy.
- Municipal historyPuerto de la Cruz: the port below the valley The trading settlement historically called Puerto de La Orotava and the church/plaza planning in 1603.
The soundtrack
Music credits
Show soundtrack credits
all I am - ninajirachi dnb remix — Ninajirachi; remix by dankky. Edited and crossfaded for the film.
Ninajirachi - Ipod Touch (Maymung Remix) — Ninajirachi; remix by Maymung. Edited and crossfaded for the film.
Delete — Edyth Remix — Ninajirachi; remix by Edyth. Edited and crossfaded for the film.