early life and education pedro josé garcía balboa, also known as martín sarmiento or martiño sarmiento, was born on march 9, 1695, in villafranca del bierzo, el bierzo, spain. this spanish scholar, writer, and benedictine monk would go on to become an illustrious representative of the enlightenment. contributions and works throughout his life, garcía balboa wrote on a wide variety of subjects, including: literature: his writings showc…