Ñuflo de Chaves facts for kids
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Ñuflo de Chaves (born 1518, died 1568) was a Spanish explorer and soldier. He is famous for starting the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra in what is now Bolivia. He was one of the many Spanish "conquistadors" who explored and settled parts of South America.
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Early Life in Spain
Ñuflo de Chaves was born in 1518. He grew up in a small Spanish village. This village was also called Santa Cruz de la Sierra. Its name means "Holy Cross of the Mountains". The village is in the Extremadura region of Spain. It is about 12 kilometers south of Trujillo. Ñuflo de Chaves also had an older brother named Diego.
Adventures in South America
Ñuflo de Chaves joined the military. He traveled to South America as a conquistador. Conquistadors were Spanish explorers and soldiers. They explored and claimed new lands for Spain.
Early Expeditions
In 1544, Ñuflo de Chaves was in Asunción. This city is now in Paraguay. He took part in a revolt against the Spanish governor. The governor was Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca. Ñuflo de Chaves helped Domingo Martínez de Irala become the new governor.
After this, he helped prepare an expedition. This trip was to a place called Charcas. Today, this area is known as Sucre in Bolivia. In 1557, he planned another expedition. This time, he wanted to explore the Jarayes lands. He reached what is now the Mato Grosso state in Brazil. He hoped to find gold mines there.
Founding Santa Cruz de la Sierra
In 1561, Ñuflo de Chaves moved south. He went into the Amazon Basin with a group of settlers. There, he founded a new town. He named it Santa Cruz de la Sierra. He chose this name to honor his hometown in Spain.
Ñuflo de Chaves settled in this new town with his family. He was the first European to bring goats and sheep to the region. This helped the settlers to farm and live there.
His Death
Ñuflo de Chaves died in 1568. He was killed during a conflict. This happened with the Itatines native people. They lived in the area around Santa Cruz de la Sierra.
A few years after his death, the town was moved. It was relocated about 220 kilometers to the west. This move was because of the ongoing conflicts with the native groups.
Legacy and Honor
Today, a province in Bolivia is named after him. It is called Ñuflo de Chávez Province. This province is in the Department of Santa Cruz.
Ñuflo de Chaves has also been honored on postal stamps. He appeared on a Spanish stamp in 1961. He was also on a Bolivian stamp in 1970.
See also
In Spanish: Ñuflo de Chaves para niños
