Francisco de Aguirre (conquistador)
| Francisco de Aguirre | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Royal Governor of Tucumán | |
|
In office 1553–1555 |
|
| Monarch | Charles V |
| Preceded by | none |
| Succeeded by | Jerónimo Luis de Cabrera |
| Personal details | |
| Born | c. 1507 Talavera de la Reina, Spain |
| Died | 1581 La Serena, Chile |
| Spouse(s) | María de Torres |
| Religion | Catholic |
Francisco de Aguirre (1507–1581) was a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Peru, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina.
Francisco de Aguirre was the son of Hernando de la Rúa and of Constanza de Meneses. He joined the army of Carlos I, participating in the Battle of Pavia and the assault on Rome in 1527. While in Rome as an Alférez in 1517, he was charged with the protection of a convent and as a reward, the Pope allowed him to marry his cousin, María de Torres y Meneses, while the King appointed him Corregidor of Talavera de la Reina.
He moved to Peru in 1536, with a large retinue that included slaves and servants. He was part of the relief expedition that saved Gonzalo Pizarro, who was under siege in Cochabamba, and between 1538 and 1539 he participated in the conquest of the province of Charcas, in present-day Bolivia, under the command of Diego de Rojas.
When he heard that Pedro de Valdivia was on his way to conquer Chile in 1540, he moved his troops (composed of 15 horsemen and 10 foot soldiers) to Tarapacá, where he waited for two months in order to join him. Aguirre quickly became a close confidant of Valdivia and achieved a premier place in the new colony, being named one of the Alcaldes of the first settlement of Santiago and being severely injured in the defense of the city on September 11, 1541, when local Indians led by Michimalonco destroyed it.
On June 20, 1549, Aguirre was appointed lieutenant governor of the zone between the Atacama Desert and the Choapa River, charged with the reconstruction of La Serena, which had been destroyed by Indians from the north. He was chosen for this task since he had already demonstrated a strong hand in the war against the Indians and their resulting punishment. On August 29, 1549, Aguirre refounded the city, constructing a fort for its defense. He then led his troops out in persecution of the Indians. The north of Chile would remain free of danger from then on, although somewhat depopulated and deficient in labor.
...
Wikipedia