Diego López de Zúñiga, 4th Count of Nieva Facts for Kids

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is López de Zúñiga and the second or maternal family name is Velasco.

Quick facts for kids Don Diego López de Zúñiga Count of Nieva Caballero de Santiago


4th Viceroy of Peru
In office April 17, 1561 – February 20, 1564
Monarch	Philip II
Preceded by	The Marquis of Cañete
Succeeded by	Juan de Saavedra

Personal details
Born	c. 1510 Valladolid, Spain
Died	February 20, 1564 Lima, Peru
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Diego López de Zúñiga y Velasco (born around 1510 – died February 20, 1564) was an important leader in Peru. He served as the fourth Viceroy of Peru, which was like being the king's main representative in the Spanish colony. He held this powerful position from April 17, 1561, until his death in 1564.

Becoming Viceroy of Peru

Diego López de Zúñiga was a respected knight from the Order of Santiago, a famous military group. From 1553 to 1559, he was the governor of Galicia in Spain.

In late 1560, King Philip II chose him to be the new Viceroy of Peru. He replaced the previous viceroy, Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza, 3rd Marquis of Cañete. López de Zúñiga arrived in Lima, Peru, and officially started his job on February 20, 1561.

What He Did as Viceroy

Viceroy López de Zúñiga

As viceroy, López de Zúñiga made many decisions that shaped the colony. He ordered explorers to map new areas. For example, he asked Gómez de Tordoya to explore the River Tono in December 1561. He also sent Juan Nieto to take control of the Camaná region.

Founding New Cities

López de Zúñiga was involved in founding several new towns and cities.

In 1562, the city of Santiago del Estero was founded by Francisco de Aguirre. This city is now in Tucumán province, Argentina.
The next year, the Audiencia (a high court and governing body) of Quito was created.
He also helped establish Safia (which is now Santiago de Miraflores) and asked Cristóbal de Valverde to found San Gerónimo de Ica.
He founded the town of Arnedo (now Chancay). He even thought about moving the University of San Marcos there because it was a quieter place.

Improvements in Lima and the Colony

The viceroy started building the grand entrances around the Plaza Mayor in Lima. These structures were later rebuilt after an earthquake in 1687.

He also made important changes to how the colony was run:

He separated the church district of Chile from that of Peru.
He worked to improve schools for the sons of Indigenous leaders.
In 1562, a school for poor girls was started by Doña Ana de Solórzano.
López de Zúñiga supported monasteries and ordered an aqueduct to bring fresh drinking water to Lima.
He passed new laws to make the colony's government better.
During his time in office, he sent a large amount of money, 651,000 ducats, to the royal treasury in Spain.
He was the first viceroy in Peru to bring a lot of ceremony and formal rules to the viceregal court.

His Passing

On February 1, 1564, Viceroy López de Zúñiga set a curfew for 10 p.m. in Lima. On February 20, 1564, he passed away. The official announcement stated he died suddenly from a stroke. His body was first buried in the church of San Francisco in Lima and later moved to Spain.