Pedro De Valdivia | |
|---|---|
 Posthumous portrait by Federico de Madrazo | |
| 1st Royal Governor of Chile | |
| In office June 10, 1540 – December 1547 | |
| Monarch | Charles I of Spain |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Francisco de Villagra |
| 3rd Royal Governor of Chile | |
| In office July 20, 1549 – December 25, 1553 | |
| Monarch | Charles I of Spain |
| Prime Minister | Pedro de la Gasca |
| Preceded by | Francisco de Villagra |
| Succeeded by | Francisco de Villagra |
| 2nd Adelantado of Terra Australis | |
| In office August 2, 1540 – December 25, 1553 | |
| Monarch | Charles I of Spain |
| Preceded by | Pedro Sancho de la Hoz |
| Succeeded by | Jerónimo de Alderete |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 17, 1497 Villanueva de la Serena, Extremadura, Spain |
| Died | December 25, 1553 (aged 56) near Fort Tucapel, Chile |
| Spouse | Marina Ortíz de Gaete |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Spain |
| Years of service | 1520–1553 |
| Rank | Captain General |
| Battles/wars | |
Pedro Gutiérrez de Valdivia or Valdiva (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpeðɾo ðe βalˈdiβja]; April 17, 1497 – December 25, 1553[1]) was a Spanish conquistador and the first royal governor of Chile. After serving with the Spanish army in Italy and Flanders, he was sent to South America in 1534, where he served as lieutenant under Francisco Pizarro in Peru, acting as his second in command.
In 1540, Valdivia led an expedition of 150 Spaniards into Chile, where he defeated a large force of indigenous warriors and founded Santiago in 1541. He extended Spanish rule south to the Biobío River in 1546, fought again in Peru (1546–1548), and returned to Chile as governor in 1549. He began to colonize Chile south of the Biobío and founded Concepción in 1550.[2] He was captured and killed by Mapuche Indians during the Arauco War in 1553. The city of Valdivia in Chile is named after him.
- ^ Dates sometimes given as 1510 – 1569, i.e. Robert Chambers "Book of Days" (1868)
- ^ Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 6 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 824.