Chronicles of Michoacán

The original manuscript of the Relación de Michoacán (Chronicles of Michoacán) is kept in the Library of El Escorial. It is believed that the author was a Franciscan friar who knew the indigenous traditions and considered himself an interpreter of the numerous references contained in the manuscript, everything indicates that he mastered the Purépecha language.
Researches attribute the authorship of the text to Brother Jerónimo de Alcalá, although there are still doubts about it; It is believed that Jerónimo was born in Vizcaya, around 1508 and died around 1545. It is known with certainty that he arrived in New Spain in 1530 and it is very possible that, after learning the Purepecha language, he received the order of Viceroy Mendoza to write the present work. La Relación de Michoacán is one of the most complete works on the origin and traditions of the Purépecha people.