December 7, 1760 is the official date of the foundation of Matur�n (according to the Venezuelan Academy of History) by the Franciscan missionary Lucas de Zaragoza. However, the Jesuit priest Pablo Ojer found in the Archivo General de Indias a document which proves a previous foundation of the city in 1722. This primitive town was called San Juan de la Tornera de Matur�n and its founder was the Spanish governor Juan de la Tornera y Sota. San Juan de la Tornera de Matur�n had the category of city for Spaniards, but it did not survive very long because of the lack of population and little economical resources. At the beginning San Judas Tadeo de Matur�n (Lucas de Zaragoza gave this name to Matur�n) was a Spanish mission created for the conversion of Indians Chaimas and Waraos, who lived next to Matur�n. The Spaniards decided to move to Matur�n and in 19th century it received the category of city and the name of San Fernando de Matur�n.
Origin of the name Matur�n
Matur�n was named after an Indian chief (el Indio Matur�n) who lived with his tribe next to the bank of Guarapiche River. The Indian chief was murdered by a supposed Spanish captain named Arrioja during a battle of the Indians against Spaniards in the actual location of the town in 1718. Since then the place was known as el Sitio de Matur�n (place of Matur�n).
Some historians concluded that the name Matur�n has a French root, not an Indian one. They based their opinions on the legend of a supposed French missionary who had explored this area at the end of 17th century. The legend says that the missionary (whose surname might have been Mathurin) baptized a young Indian and gave him the name Mathurin. This young Indian became el indio Matur�n later. Besides there is a French saint who lived during 4th century whose name was Saint Mathurin. The young Indian might have been named after this saint by the French missionary. However the legend of this supposed
