Gonzalo Piña Ludueña facts for kids
Gonzalo Piña Ludueña (born in Gibraltar in 1545 – died in Caracas in 1600) was a Spanish conquistador and a leader in the Spanish colony of Venezuela. He served as the governor of the Province of Venezuela from 1597 until his death in 1600.
Early Life and New Settlements
Gonzalo Piña Ludueña was born in 1545 in Gibraltar, which was part of Spain at that time. He later traveled to the New World, which is what Europeans called the Americas. He settled in Mérida, a town in what is now western Venezuela. He was one of the first Spanish people to live there.
Piña Ludueña helped to create several new towns and small settlements in the area. For example, he founded Nuestra Señora de Pedraza in 1591. This town is now known as Pedraza in the state of Barinas.
He also founded San Antonio de Gibraltar in 1592. This town is now called Gibraltar and is located in the state of Zulia. The city council of Mérida asked him to build this town. They needed a new harbor on the shore of Lake Maracaibo. San Antonio de Gibraltar was named after Piña Ludueña's own hometown.
Governor of Venezuela
In 1597, King Philip II chose Gonzalo Piña Ludueña to be the new governor of the Province of Venezuela. He took office on April 17, 1597. He remained governor until he passed away on March 28, 1600.
During his time, he also wrote a book called "Description of the Lake Maracaybo and Magdalena River." The original Spanish title was Descripción de la laguna de Maracaybo y río de la Magdalena.
