The Reconstruccion of a Power Space through the Maps. The Case of the Misional Cartography of the Bishopric from Villarrica, Chile (1890-1935)

The article analyzes the work displayed by the Bavarian Capuchin missionaries in Araucania (Chile), between 1890 and 1935, from which the power dynamics that existed in the area during that period were mapped. The research takes as theoretical references the Geohistory and Geography of power persepctives. The sources used come from the Archivo Regional de la Araucania and the Archivo del Obispado de Villarrica. The results from the research reflect that the missionary action done by the Capuchins followed a pattern of territorial occupation that served as a basis for the Chilean State to consolidate the occupation of the Araucania. Likewise, it is demonstrated that this missionary action allowed the formation of a space power that was crucial for structuring the administrative mechanisms that legitimated the presence of the State in the area