Cuenca Historian Diego Arteaga Matute Has Died

Cuenca lost one of its local-history voices this week.

On July 13, the death of Diego Arteaga Matute, a recognized historian of Cuenca, became public. The Museo y Parque Arqueológico Pumapungo confirmed his death through a condolence shared on social media.

Part Of The Local Record

Arteaga wrote several articles and books. One of the named works connected with him is El artesano en la Cuenca colonial, a book cited in different investigations.

The Casa de la Cultura Núcleo del Azuay had also made public that Arteaga was facing a health problem and that economic help was being requested for expenses.

For newer residents, stories like this are a reminder that Cuenca is not only churches, plazas, and pretty photos. Much of what outsiders understand about the city comes from people who spent years documenting its artisans, institutions, neighborhoods, and memory.