title: José Benito Monterroso
text: # José Benito Monterroso
  
  José Benito Silverio Monterroso Bermúdez (1788, in Montevideo – 1838) was a Roman Catholic priest from the Banda Oriental, the pre-independence name of Uruguay.
  
  He was ordained in the Franciscan Order and later became lecturer in Philosophy and Theology at the University of Córdoba.
  
  ## Uruguayan independence-era patriot
  
  He was a notable patriot during the fight for freedom in colonial times. He was decisive in the development of Artiguism, the thought of José Gervasio Artigas.
  
  ### Family background
  
  Monterroso was the eldest of six. His sister Ana married Juan Antonio Lavalleja, leader of the Thirty-Three Orientals.
  
  