Boroa facts for kids

Boroa is a small town in the Araucanía Region of Chile. It sits right on the banks of the Cautín River. This area has a long and interesting history, especially during the time when Spanish explorers arrived in South America.

Where is Boroa?

Boroa is located in the central part of Chile, within the Cautín Province. The town is near the Cautín River, which is an important waterway in the region. The land around Boroa, especially south of the Cautín River between the Boroa River and Quepe River, was once home to a group of Mapuche people called the Moluche. Their territory was known as an aillarehue, which means a group of villages or a district.

The Spanish Forts at Boroa

Boroa became a significant place during the Arauco War. This was a long conflict between the Spanish colonists and the Mapuche people.

First Fort: San Ignacio de la Redención

In 1606, a Spanish military leader named Rodulfo Lisperger decided to build a fort at Boroa. He named it San Ignacio de la Redención. The fort was meant to help the Spanish control the area. However, it didn't last very long. Lisperger and his soldiers were ambushed by Mapuche warriors, and the fort was soon abandoned.

Rebuilding and Another Siege

Years later, in 1649, the Spanish tried again. After a peace agreement called the Parliament of Quillín (1647), the Spanish governor, Martín de Mujica y Buitrón, managed to rebuild the fort at Boroa. This new fort helped the Spanish maintain their presence in the region for a while.

However, peace did not last forever. In 1655, a major Mapuche uprising of 1655 began. The fort at Boroa faced a long and difficult siege. Eventually, in 1656, the Spanish had to abandon the fort once more. Even at the end of the 1800s, you could still find traces of the old Spanish fort near the local mission.

See also

• In Spanish: Boroa para niños