Manuel González del Valle

Cuban writer and professor. He enjoyed prestige among Havana's intellectual circles of the time. He collaborated in important publications.

He was born in La Habana in 1802. He studied at the Seminario de San Carlos, where he was a student of Varela. He graduated with a bachelor's degree and obtained the titles of Bachelor of Laws (1822), Doctor of Philosophy (1824), and Doctor of Laws (1824) from the Universidad de la Habana.

He was professor of Prima de Leyes between 1823 and 1825 and professor of Philosophy by competitive examination. He taught at the Real Colegio Cubano, the Liceo de La Habana, and the Academia de San Fernando, where he had José Fornaris as a student.

He also obtained, by competitive examination, the chairs of Moral Applied to Law (1840) and of Logic, Metaphysics, and History of Philosophy (1842) at the University. In 1842 he held the deanship of his Faculty of Philosophy until 1856. He was a city councilman (1847-1854), interim mayor of La Habana (1854), interim secretary of government (1856) and later in permanent capacity (1860), counselor of administration (1862), among others.

He was editor of "La Moda", "Recreo Semanal del Bello Sexo". He collaborated in "La Lira de Apolo", "El Revisor Político y Literario", "Diario de la Habana", "La Cartera Cubana", "Gaceta de Puerto Príncipe", "Memorias de la Real Sociedad Económica", "Brisas de Cuba", "Revista de la Habana", "El Liceo de la Habana", "Noticioso" and "Lucero".
He was a full academic member of the Academia Cubana de Literatura, a board member, member of various sections and later a merit member and president of the Sociedad Patriótica. He translated from Italian Rossini's opera "El barbero de Sevilla" into verse; Pagano's "Breve historia del proceso en lo criminal", and "Relaciones del Derecho y de la legislación en la Economía Política" (París, 1864) by F. Rivet.

He used the pseudonyms Dorilo, El redactor, M. J., Juan Vasallo Caraciolo, El psicólogo, El frenólogo, El bayamés, Fray Gerundio habanero, El ontólogo. He also signed with his initials.

Works
To his friend The lover of the muses, to Lic. D. Ignacio Valdés Dr. M. González del Valle dedicates these lyrical sketches. [La Habana?, s.i.] 1826.
"Diccionario de las Musas", where the most important aspects of poetic theory and practice are explained, with application of rhetoric and mythology in what is deemed necessary. Nueva York, Lanuza, Mendia, 1827.
Program of philosophical subjects for the students of the Colegio de San Fernando [La Habana?], 1839. | Articles published on psychology, according to the doctrine of Cousin. La Habana, Oficina Boloña, 1840.
Inaugural oration delivered by Dr. M. González del Valle to open the chair of Moral Philosophy at the Real y Pontificia Universidad de San Gerónimo de la Habana. La Habana, Imp. de Boloña, impresor de la R. Marina, 1840.
Propositions of Logic for the examination of philosophy students in the united colleges of San Fernando and Cubano. La Habana, 1840.
Discourse to open the course of Morals at the Real y Pontificia Universidad of this city. La Habana, Oficina de Boloña, 1841.
Discourse to open on December 22, 1842 the chair of Logic at the Real Universidad de la Habana. La Habana, D. José S. Boloña, 1842.
Study of morals. La Habana, Oficina de J. S. Boloña, 1843.
Discourse delivered in the chair of Morals of this Literary University. La Habana, Imp. del Tiempo, 1856.
Discourses delivered in the chairs of Logic and Morals of this Literary University 2nd ed. La Habana, Imp. de P. Martínez, 1856.
Notes on Logic followed by a comparison between the a priori and a posteriori methods according to the explanations given at the Real Universidad de la Habana. Arranged for publication by F. F. R. La Habana, Imp. La Protección, 1862.

Passive Bibliography
Fornaris, José. «Correo del domingo. Manuel González del Valle», in El Triunfo. La Habana, 2ª época, 7 (18): 2, ene. 20, 1884.
López Prieto, Antonio. «Illmo. Sr. Dr. D. Manuel González del Valle y Cañizo», in his Parnaso cubano. Collection of selected poems by Cuban authors from Zequeira to our times, preceded by a historical-critical introduction on the development of poetry in Cuba, with biographies and critical and literary notes by reputed men of letters [...] V. 1. La Habana, Editor Miguel de Villa, 1884, p. 183-184.
Maz, R. E., pseud. of Ramón Meza. «Manuel González del Valle», in La Ilustración Cubana, La Habana-Barcelona, 3 (17): 181-182, jun. 20, 1887.
Meza, Ramón. «Dr. Manuel González del Valle», in his Los González del Valle. Biographical study. La Habana, Imp. El Siglo XX, 1911, p. 17-30.
Valverde, Antonio L. «Cuban jurists: Manuel González del Valle y Cañizo», in Revista Bimestre Cubana. La Habana, 32: 78-86, 1933.