Transcription of the letter from the Bishop of Durango to the Viceroy Count of Revillagigedo in 1791.

Abstract

This paper examines the critical paleographic transcription of an 18th-century ecclesiastical document preserved in the General Archive of the State of Nuevo León. The letter, written by the bishop of Durango and addressed to the viceroy of New Spain, denounces false accusations against bishops and requests support to address the shortage of clergy in remote areas. The study emphasizes the need to preserve and contextualize historical texts, often damaged and linguistically archaic. Transcription is presented as a dual task of philological conservation and historiographic mediation. Through paleographic analysis—morphology, ductus, weight, writing box, angle, abbreviations, and ligatures—the document's historical richness is revealed. The historical context explores key figures such as Bishop Esteban Lorenzo Tristán and Viceroy Juan Vicente de Güemes, as well as research challenges. This project advocates for a more inclusive historiography by recovering marginalized voices often excluded from dominant narratives.