Antonio de Lebrija (conquistador) facts for kids

Antonio de Lebríja was the treasurer of the expedition along the green route from Santa Marta into the Muisca Confederation

Antonio de Lebrija was a Spanish explorer and soldier. He was born in 1507 in Alcántara, Spain. He passed away in 1540 in Brozas, also in Spain.

Antonio de Lebrija was a conquistador. This means he was a Spanish soldier who explored and conquered new lands. He took part in the Spanish conquest of the Muisca and Chimila peoples in what is now Colombia. He was the treasurer for a big expedition. This group left Santa Marta in April 1536. They followed an old salt trade route. This path led them up the Eastern Mountains of the Andes. Their goal was to reach the lands of the Muisca Confederation.

Early Explorations

Antonio de Lebrija was born in 1507. He was from Alcántara in Extremadura, Spain. Some people think he might have been the grandson of a famous historian named Antonio de Nebrija.

In 1529, he traveled from Spain to the New World. He arrived in Santa Marta, a city in present-day Colombia. He joined an expedition led by Pedro de Lerma. They worked to conquer the Chimila people. This happened in the Valle de Upar region. During this time, he found where the Magdalena River met another river. This river was later named the Lebrija River after him.

Antonio de Lebrija had seven years of experience. He was a captain and treasurer. He then joined a new expedition. This group was searching for the legendary golden city of El Dorado. Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada led this important journey. They started their quest from Santa Marta in April 1536.

Founding Bogotá

In 1538, the Spanish explorers were on the Bogotá savanna. De Quesada sent Antonio de Lebrija and other leaders forward. These leaders included Juan de Céspedes, Juan de San Martín, and Gómez del Corral. Their job was to find the best place to build a new city.

They chose a spot in Teusaquillo. This is where Santa Fe de Bogotá was officially founded. The founding date was August 6, 1538. This city became the capital of the New Kingdom of Granada.

Journey Back to Spain

Later, two other conquistadors arrived in Bogotá. Their names were Nikolaus Federmann and Sebastián de Belalcázar. After their arrival, Antonio de Lebrija left Bogotá. He traveled with De Quesada and another conquistador, Juan de Albarracín. They went to Guataquí, a town they had founded.

Guataquí was a port town on the Magdalena River. Here, De Albarracín ordered the local Panche people to build two small boats. From Guataquí, the Spanish conquistadors sailed to Cartagena. From Cartagena, they took a ship back to Spain. In July 1539, while in Cartagena, De Lebrija wrote a letter. It described all the activities in the New Kingdom of Granada. Antonio de Lebrija died in 1540 in Brozas, Spain.

Epítome Chronicle

Antonio de Lebrija is mentioned in an old book. This book is called Epítome de la conquista del Nuevo Reino de Granada. It is an early story about the Spanish conquest. In the book, his name is spelled as Librixa. We don't know for sure who wrote this chronicle.

Places Named After Antonio de Lebrija

• Lebrija, a town in Santander, Colombia
• Lebrija River, a river in Santander, Colombia

See also

In Spanish: Antonio de Lebrija (conquistador) para niños

• List of conquistadors in Colombia
• Spanish conquest of the Muisca
• Hernán Pérez de Quesada, Juan de Céspedes
• Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada, Juan de Albarracín, Juan de San Martín