Domingo de Basavilbaso

He was born in Llodio, Bilbao, Spain, the son of Domingo de Basavilbaso and María Rosa de la Presa, belonging to a distinguished Basque family.[3] He arrived at the port of Buenos Aires from Montevideo, establishing itself in the city of Buenos Aires around the year 1729, where it was dedicated to the commerce.[4]

Its main activity in the territories of the Viceroyalty of Peru was the establishment of mail in the Provinces of the Rio de la Plata. In 1748, Basavilbaso established the mail between Buenos Aires and Potosí, being his general administrator until 1772. He had created a system of posts, which linked Buenos Aires with Mendoza and Santiago de Chile, to the west; Córdoba, Santiago del Estero, the northern provinces and Upper Peru.

He also took part in the organization of the maritime mail of the Río de la Plata.[5]

He held various political positions during the colonial period of Argentina, including as Vice Mayor of Buenos Aires in 1738,[6] and Mayor in 1745.[7] He also served as Councilor, Alférez Real,[8] and was appointed as Attorney General of Buenos Aires in 1739.[9]

He also had a long participation in the military expeditions against the indigenous incursions in the current Argentine territories. He served as commander of provincial militias cavalry regiment of Buenos Aires, in charge of organizing an expedition against the Pampas, who had invaded the borders of jurisdiction of Buenos Aires Province. In these expeditions it was possible to capture the cacique Calelián.[10]

Domingo de Basavilbaso was one of the first Spaniards to carry out explorations in the Patagonia towards the middle of the 18th century.[11]

Domingo de Basavilbaso was married on February 20, 1730 in the Buenos Aires Cathedral to María Ignacia de Urtubia Toledo, daughter of José de Urtubia Enríquez, born in Navarre, and María de Toledo Ojeda, born in Buenos Aires.[12]

He and his wife were the parents of Francisco Antonio Basavilbaso, Manuel Basavilbaso, María Gabriela Basavilbaso, abbess,[13] María Rosa Basavilbaso, mother of Miguel de Azcuénaga y Basavilbaso,[14] María Victoria Basavilbaso, married Domingo Ignacio Urien, born in Biscay,[15] Rafaela Basavilbaso, wife José Ignacio Merlo.[16] and María Paula Basavilbaso, who was married to Francisco Mariano Mendizaga, a silversmith, born in 1752 in Buenos Aires).[17]

Domingo de Basavilbaso was grandfather of Ana de Azcuénaga, who was married to Antonio de Olaguer y Feliú (Viceroy of Río de la Plata).[18] His son, Manuel de Basavilbaso Urtubia was awarded as Knight of the Royal Order of Charles III.[19]

The luxurious residence of the Basavilbaso family was located in the current Avenida Belgrano between Calle Balcarce and Paseo Colón (neighborhood of Santo Domingo).[20] In his house, Domingo de Basavilbaso hosted important political figures of the time as José Joaquín de Viana[21] and Ambrosio O'Higgins, personal friend of the Basavilbaso family.[22]

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