Person
Río Fernández, Andrés Manuel del (1764-1849)Other forms
Madrid (España) 1764-11-10 - Ciudad de México (México) 1849-03-23
Spanish scientist; discoverer of vanadium. After studying in the Real Colegio de San Isidro, he graduated as sage of Arts in the University of Alcalá de Henares. His good qualities were worth the recommendation of José de Gálvez for him to continue his education in the Royal Academy of mines of Almadén. Thanks to the different grants he was able to go to Paris to study with the chemist Jean d'Arcet, Freiburg, Gottlob Werner and in the Academy of mines of Schemitz.
On the occasion of the founding of the Real Seminario de Minería de México, he moved there and assumed the chair of mineralogy at the institution. It was in Mexico where he discovered vanadium and where he told Humboldt about his studies and analysis. Appointed deputy in Cortes during the Trienio Liberal (Liberal Triennium), at that time he turned down the directorship of the mines of Almadén and the Museum of Natural Sciences, since his intention was to return to America. When he returned he saw how the process of independence of the new Republic was coming to an end. He kept imparting lessons at his chair but in 1829, and following the decree of expulsion of the Spanish, he went into voluntary exile and headed for the United States. There, he lived in Washington, Boston and Philadelphia, where he got in contact with scientists and intellectuals. In 1835, he returned to Mexico and returned to his chair of Mineralogy and Geology.
Date of the event: 1820 - 1823
Gutiérrez Torrecilla, Luis Miguel. Casado Arboniés, Manuel. Ballesteros Torres, Pedro L.. Profesores y estudiantes : biografía colectiva de la Universidad de Alcalá (1508-1836). edición al cuidado de Luis Miguel Gutiérrez Torrecilla, Manuel Casado Arboniés, Pedro Ballesteros Torres. Alcalá de Henares: Universidad de Alcalá, Servicio de Publicaciones. 2013. 779 p., XXXII p. de lám. col. y n.. 978-84-15834-27-4.