Antonio de Berrio facts for kids

Antonio de Berrío (born in Segovia, Spain, in 1527 – died in Santo Tomé de Guayana, which is now Ciudad Bolívar, Venezuela, in 1597) was a Spanish soldier, governor, and explorer. He played a big part in exploring parts of South America during the time of Spanish colonization.

Biography

Antonio de Berrío started his military career when he was just 14 years old, serving King Carlos I of Spain. He began fighting in Flanders, a region in Europe. His first battle was the Battle of Marciano, where the city of Siena was captured. After that, he fought against the Berbers along the African coast.

Later, he was sent to fight in Spain against the Rebellion of the Alpujarras. This was a conflict against the rebellious Moriscos, who were Muslims forced to convert to Christianity. After this war, he became a captain in a cavalry company. He was in charge of watching the coasts of Granada. Eventually, he was made governor of the Alpujarras region.

As governor, Berrío married María de Oruña. She was the niece of a very important explorer and lawyer named Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. When Jiménez de Quesada died in 1579, he named Berrío and his wife as the people who would inherit his titles and wealth.

Berrío received this news in 1580, when he was 53 years old. This changed his life, bringing him back to action and adventure. He traveled to America and became the governor of Trinidad from 1580 to 1597. This title was passed down from his wife's uncle, Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, who had founded Bogotá and was a key figure in the conquest of New Granada. Berrío continued the work that Jiménez de Quesada had started.

Antonio de Berrío organized several trips into the Guiana Plateau. He was searching for the legendary city of gold, known as El Dorado. Between 1583 and 1589, he led his first two expeditions. He explored the wild areas of the Colombian plains and the Upper Orinoco River.

First Expedition

His first big journey began on January 1, 1584. He had 80 Spanish soldiers with him. They traveled along the Meta River and Tomo River until they reached the Orinoco River. They also explored the edges of the Guiana Shield. Heavy rains stopped them from going further. However, he learned about a city-state called Manõa, which was said to be the legendary city of gold, El Dorado. After looking at the western coast, he went back to Bogota in 1585. After this trip, he moved to the mouth of the Orinoco River. There, he founded the city of Santo Tomé de Guayana. He also founded San José de Oruña on the island of Trinidad.

Second Expedition

In 1587, Berrío started his second expedition. This journey lasted more than two years. During this time, he explored the western cliffs of the Guiana Plateau.

Third Expedition

Berrío began his third expedition in 1590. He managed to sail down the Orinoco River until he reached the Caroní River. At this point, Berrío believed he had found the path to El Dorado. But he needed more men and supplies to continue. So, he sailed to Margarita Island in March 1591. Before leaving, he built the Santo Tomé de Guayana fortress. This was the first settlement of what is now Ciudad Guayana. It was located near the Caroní River. He claimed this land for King Philip II.

On his way to Margarita, he stopped at Trinidad Island. He thought Trinidad would be a good base for future explorations. While there, he heard the sad news that his wife had died. By 1595, Berrío was 68 years old. He had spent a lot of his family's money on these expeditions. The governors of Margarita Province and Caracas did not want to help him with new adventures. So, he asked the Spanish crown for help. Berrío waited in Trinidad for 300 men, food, and money to continue his search for El Dorado.

Fourth Expedition. Prisoner of Walter Raleigh.

In April 1595, two English ships arrived at Margarita Island. These were not the reinforcements Berrío was waiting for. They were led by Walter Raleigh, an English explorer. Even though Spain and England were not officially at war, their relationship was tense. Raleigh also believed in the legend of El Dorado. He had even learned Spanish to read the stories about America. He admitted in 1596 that he had known about the search for El Dorado for many years.

Raleigh had a plan. He pretended to be friendly, but then he attacked the city of San José de Oruña. This city had been founded by Berrío's lieutenant, Domingo de Vera Ibargoyen. Raleigh's men captured the city, which was defended by only 28 soldiers. They took Berrío and his lieutenant, Alvaro Jorge, as prisoners. Then, Raleigh burned the city.

Raleigh's next step was to try and find El Dorado by going up the Orinoco River. He forced Berrío to be his guide. Berrío led them through areas he had already explored years before. El Dorado still did not appear. Raleigh's expedition eventually returned to Trinidad. Antonio de Berrío was set free at the end of June 1595. This happened on the coast of Cumana, as part of a prisoner exchange.

Death and Legacy

Antonio de Berrío died at the age of 70 in Santo Tomé de Guayana in 1597. This was the fortress he had founded himself. He passed away just a few days after his son, Fernando de Berrío, arrived with the soldiers, food, and money he had requested. His son was also very interested in finding the mythical El Dorado and continued the search.

As for Walter Raleigh, he wrote a famous book about his adventures called "Discovery of the great, rich and beautiful empire of Guayana." This book told the story of his expedition with Berrío. Raleigh's journey did not bring back any gold, only the book. This led to him being sentenced to death by King James I, who took over after Queen Elizabeth I died. However, his execution was put on hold, and he was sent to prison in the Tower of London for a long time.

After twelve years in prison, Raleigh was set free. But he never forgot about El Dorado. This strong desire led him to go on another expedition to find it. This trip failed and also broke an agreement not to harm Spanish lands in the New World. Because of this, King James I had Raleigh executed on October 29, 1618, to please the Spanish king, Philip III.

See also

In Spanish: Antonio de Berrío para niños