Gonzalo Suárez Rendón facts for kids

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Suárez and the second or maternal family name is Rendón.

Quick facts for kids Gonzalo Suárez Rendón
Portrait of Gonzalo Suárez Rendón
Born	c.1503 Málaga, Castile
Died	1590 (or 1583) Tunja, New Kingdom of Granada
Burial place	Cathedral of Tunja
Monuments	Casa Fundador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón
Nationality	Castilian
Occupation	Conquistador
Years active	1536–1539
Employer	Spanish Crown
Known for	Spanish conquest of the Muisca Founder of Tunja
Spouse(s)	Mencia de Figueroa y Godoy
Children	2 sons: Nicolas & Miguel Suárez de Figueroa 2 daughters: Isabel de Godoy & María de la Trinidad Suárez de Figueroa
Parents	Rodrigo Suárez Rendón de Jerez (father) Isabel Jiménez Suárez (mother)
Relatives	Rodrigo Sabariego Suárez Rendón (brother) María Suárez Rendón (sister)
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Notes

Gonzalo Suárez Rendón (born around 1503 in Málaga, Spain – died in 1590 or 1583 in Tunja, New Kingdom of Granada) was a Spanish conquistador. He is famous for founding Tunja, which became the second most important city in the New Kingdom of Granada. Today, Tunja is the capital of the Boyacá region in Colombia.

Before coming to America, Suárez Rendón was a soldier in Europe. He fought in several wars, including the Italian Wars, and battles in Germany, Austria, and Hungary. Later, he joined the Spanish expeditions to the Americas. He played a key role in the Spanish conquest of the Muisca people. This conquest was first led by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada and then by his brother Hernán Pérez de Quesada. On August 6, 1539, Suárez Rendón officially founded Tunja. He built the city on the site where the Muisca ruler, called the hoa, used to live.

Gonzalo Suárez Rendón is also mentioned in an old book called Epítome de la conquista del Nuevo Reino de Granada. This book talks about the Spanish conquest of the New Kingdom of Granada.

Life and Military Career
- Early Life and European Service
Expeditions to the Americas
- Journey to the Andes
- Discovering the Muisca and Founding Cities
Building Tunja's Future
- Improving Trade Routes
- Tunja as a Trade Center
Later Years and Legacy
- Later Life Events
- His House in Tunja
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Life and Military Career

Early Life and European Service

Gonzalo Suárez Rendón was born around 1503 in Málaga, a city in southern Spain. His parents were Rodrigo Suárez Rendón de Jerez and Isabel Jiménez Suárez. He had a brother named Rodrigo Sabariego Suárez Rendon and a sister named María Suárez Rendón.

Suárez Rendón had a long military career in Europe. He fought in wars in Italy, Hungary, Germany, and France. He was promoted to Captain because of his skills and bravery. He even fought against the Ottoman Turks under their leader, Suleyman the Magnificent.

After his military service in Europe, Suárez Rendón returned to Spain. He soon decided to join the expeditions to the Americas. At that time, people could form private companies to explore and conquer new lands. They would sign agreements with the Spanish government. In return, they would receive special privileges and official positions.

Suárez Rendón used his military experience to organize his own group of soldiers. His original plan was to go to Tunisia. However, those plans changed, and he ended up joining an expedition to the Americas. This journey was led by Pedro Fernández de Lugo, who was the governor of the Canary Islands. Their goal was to find a land route to Peru and the source of the Magdalena River. Instead, they discovered the Muisca people and helped establish the New Kingdom of Granada.

Expeditions to the Americas

Journey to the Andes

In April 1536, Gonzalo Suárez Rendón joined a large expedition led by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada. This group set out from Santa Marta, a city on the coast of present-day Colombia. The expedition included about 800 Spanish soldiers, along with many Indigenous companions and enslaved people. Suárez Rendón served as a captain in charge of the cavalry, which means he led the soldiers on horseback.

The journey was very difficult. They marched through swamps and thick forests. They faced heavy rains and scorching sun. Food was scarce, and they often had to eat their horses and dogs to survive. Jiménez de Quesada even had to forbid this practice at one point. The native people also fought back, causing many losses for the expedition.

Discovering the Muisca and Founding Cities

The main goal of the expedition was to find a path to Peru and explore the new lands. They also hoped to find riches that the native people might have. The group traveled up the Magdalena River to Barrancabermeja. From there, they followed a path used for trading salt and other goods by the local tribes. They went up the Opón River and into the eastern mountains.

Eventually, they reached the area where the city of Vélez is today. Here, they made contact with the Muisca people. Out of the 800 soldiers who started, only about 180 survived to reach the mountains. On August 6, 1538, they founded the city of Santafé de Bogotá.

A year later, in 1539, Gonzalo Suárez Rendón founded the city of Tunja. When a new city was founded, it was important to plan its layout. They marked out areas for the church and other government buildings. Land plots were then given to the conquerors who helped establish the city. Fray Vicente de Requejada became Tunja's first priest.

For four years, Suárez Rendón was the chief justice of Tunja. He was responsible for developing the city and making sure it had everything it needed. He also worked to keep order among the Indigenous people, who did not always welcome the Spanish presence.

The Suárez River, which the conquistadors followed in 1537, was named after Suárez Rendón. This happened when his horse drowned in the river during their journey.

Building Tunja's Future

Improving Trade Routes

In its early years, Tunja's growth was slow. Before 1546, all European livestock, like cows and horses, had to be brought from Santa Marta. They traveled up the Magdalena River to Barrancabermeja, then up the Opon River. This long journey made the animals very expensive.

Suárez Rendón and the city council worked to solve this problem. They convinced the Royal Audience of Santo Domingo to find a better way. In 1546, a captain named Francisco Ruiz opened a new path. This route started from Cumaná on the Venezuelan coast, passed through El Tocuyo, and reached Tunja.

This new path greatly reduced the price of livestock. Before, a horse in Tunja cost 500 pesos, a cow 100, and a sheep 20. After the new route opened, a horse cost only 40 pesos, a cow 4 pesos, and a sheep half a peso.

Tunja as a Trade Center

This successful solution made Tunja a major trading hub. Not only did livestock arrive, but also many other goods. Tunja became a gateway for progress to the entire Andean region, serving as its central point for trade and development.

Later Years and Legacy

Later Life Events

In late 1544, while at Cabo de la Vela, Suárez Rendón was with Hernán Pérez de Quesada and his brother Francisco. A lightning strike tragically killed the Quesada brothers. Suárez Rendón himself broke his leg when he was thrown by the force of the lightning.

In 1561, there was a threat from a "tyrant" named Lope de Aguirre in Venezuela. Suárez Rendón left Tunja with soldiers to fight Aguirre, who was in the city of Barquisimeto. However, the Tunja forces did not have to fight. Aguirre had already been killed by the time they arrived.

Suárez Rendón died in 1590 (or 1583) in Tunja. He was buried in the Cathedral of Tunja.

His House in Tunja

Suárez Rendón had one of the most beautiful houses built in Tunja during the colonial period. This house, called Casa del Fundador Gonzalo Suárez Rendón, was built between August 7, 1539, and 1570. It is the oldest colonial building in Tunja that still stands. It is also the only remaining house of a colonial city founder in Latin America. Since 1965, it has been a museum, allowing visitors to learn about its history.