Juan de Salinas y Loyola facts for kids
Juan de Salinas y Loyola (born in 1492, died January 19, 1582) was an important Spanish explorer and leader. He was known for discovering new lands and helping to conquer parts of the Americas. He came from a noble Spanish family. Juan de Salinas y Loyola also served as a governor and a special leader called an adelantado in the provinces of Yaguarzongo and Bracamoros.
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Life and Adventures
Juan de Salinas y Loyola was born in a town called Salinas de Añana. His parents were Bernardo Vélez de Loyola and Guiomar Fernández de Salinas. When he was older, he traveled to the Americas.
Joining the Conquistadors
In the Americas, Juan de Salinas y Loyola first joined Hernán Cortés. He helped Cortés in the conquest of Mexico. Later, in 1531, he joined Francisco Pizarro. Pizarro was leading the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire.
Juan de Salinas y Loyola was with Pizarro when they reached the Santa Elena Peninsula and Puná Island. He was also present during the capture of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor. After a huge ransom was paid, Juan de Salinas helped take the "king's fifth" of this treasure back to King Charles I of Spain. This was the share of the treasure that belonged to the king.
Founding New Cities
Juan de Salinas y Loyola played a big part in exploring and conquering the eastern parts of what is now Ecuador and the northeastern parts of Peru. He founded many cities in the Amazon basin. Some of these cities include Valladolid, Loyola, Santiago de las Montañas, Logroño de los Caballeros, Santa María de Leiva, San Francisco de Borja (Ecuador), Jaén de Bracamoros, Sevilla de Oro, and Santa María de Nieva.
He also helped with the final establishment of Loja in 1548. A year later, in 1549, he attended the founding of Zamora. He helped settle the areas that would become the Yaguarzongo and Maynas regions. By 1556, he became the first governor of Yaguarzongo and Bracamoros. Later, he was named "adelantado" of these areas. This title meant he was a special leader given permission to explore and colonize new lands.
Discovering Rivers and Lands
On April 12, 1557, Juan de Salinas y Loyola was present at the founding of Cuenca. This city was built on the ruins of an Inca city called Tomebamba. It was named after a city in Spain.
After this, he explored the western Amazon regions. He made important discoveries, including the Morona and Pastaza rivers. In 1558, while searching for the legendary city of "El Dorado", he discovered the Pongo de Manseriche. This is a famous gorge in the Marañón river basin in Peru. He continued his journey to Maynas and the Ucayali River. He was one of the first Europeans to reach areas east of Cuzco. Finally, he returned to Loja in 1559.
Family and Legacy
In 1557, Juan de Salinas y Loyola married Bernardina de Alderete Mercado in Lima. They had one child, a son named Gaspar de Salinas y Loyola. He was named after Juan's friend, Gaspar de Valladolid y Angulo.
At the end of 1581, Juan de Salinas y Loyola wrote his will. In it, he donated all his livestock to build a hospital. This hospital was planned for the town of Cañaribamba, which is now known as Girón.
See also
In Spanish: Juan de Salinas y Loyola para niños
