Ignacio de las Casas and the laminaria polemic in the Historia Authéntica by Viana and Laboraría. The text (Documents from the Sacromonte of Granada, I)

Abstract

The laminaria polemic that emerged out of the discoveries at the end of the 16th century raged on until at least the end of the Modern Era; its echoes come down to us even today. In 1756, as a commission from Fernando VI, the Sacromonte canons Viana, and Laboraría drew up an Historia Auténtica, an apology, in which they told the life and anti-laminaria activities of the Jesuit, Granada man and Morisco Ignacio de las Casas from a biased perspective, thus executing the condemnatory orders that were given in his day by the founder Pedro de Castro, a fanatical defender of the plúmbeo discoveries (as they were the basis of his re-christianising paradigm) and staunch enemy and persecutor of Las Casas. In this selection of documents passages from the case are extracted in full. It is preceded by an introduction, in which the topic is summarised and precise bibliographical notes are given.