Reflections on The Twenty-One of Engineering and Machines of Juanelo Turriano
II It is convenient to initiate the analysis of these texts with the figure of Juan Gómez de Mora, A very important character in the courts of Philip III and Philip IV, in which with the title of Designer and Chief Master of His Majesty he enjoyed the highest honour as Architect of the Crown. He was born in the city of Cuenca in the year 1586, in the bosom of a family of artists, when his uncle Francisco de Mora had already achieved fame with the same titles after having been called by King Philip II to act as assistant to Juan de Herrera, in the construction of the Monastery of El Escorial. Protected and educated by him, he attended in Madrid the Studium of Mathematics, was trained in architecture and began to serve as assistant to his uncle to the satisfaction of the king himself, who granted him, at twenty-four years of age, for his merits, the succession of his uncle in all professional services and honours. He was distinguished in addition with the duties of Usher and Aid to the Quartermaster through which he was given responsibilities in matters of ceremonies and administration of the palace. He was a very important architect not only since he worked for the Crown, but also because of his work for the nobility, the church, distinguished individuals and especially as Chief Architect of the municipal government of Madrid. Among his works related to the technique to which the codex is dedicated, his part in the urbanisation of the capital and its water supply with the conduit from the Amaniel may be noted. In 1613, at the beginning of his career, he already occupied himself with examining the irrigation system of Murcia. In the period from 1622-1624 he restored the ports of Cádiz and Gibraltar, which were in a poor condition due mainly to the wars. In 1636 he returned to the hydraulic works in Murcia. He was, without a doubt, what we would call today an intellectual reared in the shadow of his uncle who left him, besides knowledge and titles, a large library and a similar anxiety to enlarge it with treatises and translations into Castilian Spanish from Italian authors mainly, who would elucidate the Art of Architecture and what was necessary for good construction. All of it with the vigour and spirit conveyed by Juan de Herrera to the Academy of Mathematics, whose direction was the task of the Designers and Chief Masters of the King, in whose house he had his residence. His library was appraised twice. In 1613 he had 70 books and they were worth between 400 and 500 reales: upon his death in 1648, the number of volumes is not indicated, but their price had risen to between 3,500 and 4,500 reales, a large and uncommon figure at the time. The books were inherited by a stepson, Juan Caja, who was very rich but becameruined. He sold them in 1651.
III And now Juan José of Austria (1629-1679), whose life I will summarise briefly. Illegitimate son of Philip IV, destined to serve him in the front line of his armies, he brilliantly initiated his military career in 1642 with an important