Melchor de Navarra y Rocafull

Don Melchor de Navarra y Rocafull, jure uxoris Duke of Palata, Prince of Massalubrense (sometimes Melchor de Navarra y Rocaful) (1626 in Aragón – April 13, 1691 in Portobelo, Panamá) was a Spanish politician. From November 20, 1681 to August 15, 1689 he was Viceroy of Perú.

Navarra y Rocafull studied in the Universities of Oviedo and Salamanca. He was a knight of the Order of Alcántara. He was also an advisor to the Crown of Aragón, a member of the council of state and of war in Naples, and president of the council of Aragón. He was part of the junta that advised King Charles II during the first year of his reign. In 1681 he was named Viceroy and captain general of Perú, extending at that time from Panamá to Chile.

After his appointment as viceroy, he sailed from Cádiz on January 28, 1681. He arrived in Lima on November 20 of that year and received the government of the colony from Archbishop Melchor Liñán y Cisneros. He immediately set to work to put the government in order.

During his administration, he issued a decree to protect the Indigenous against oppressive church taxes (February 20, 1684). He conducted a census of the Indigenous, and required them to reside in their customary locations. He also reorganized the University of San Marcos in Lima. In 1683 he reestablished the Lima mint, which had been closed since 1572. Its reopening had been opposed by mining interests in Potosí and by the mint in Seville, which wanted to continue striking coins from silver sent from Perú.^[1]

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