Lope de Aguirre facts for kids

Lope de Aguirre (born November 8, 1510 – died October 27, 1561) was a Spanish conquistador from the Basque region. A conquistador was a Spanish explorer and soldier who helped conquer lands in the Americas. Aguirre was known as El Loco ("the Madman"). He even called himself "Wrath of God, Prince of Freedom."

Aguirre is most famous for his last journey down the Amazon river. He was searching for the legendary golden kingdom called El Dorado. In 1561, he led a mutiny (a rebellion against authority) against his leader. He then declared war on the King of Spain, Philip II. His journey ended with his death. Today, historians see him as a symbol of cruelty and betrayal. He is often shown as an antihero in books and movies.

Early Life in Spain

Lope de Aguirre was born around 1510. His birthplace was in the Araotz Valley, near Oñati in northern Spain. He came from a noble family. When he was in his twenties, he lived in Seville. He heard stories of the amazing treasures from the Incas that Hernando Pizarro brought back from Peru. These stories made Aguirre want to go to the Americas too. In the early 1530s, he traveled to the Americas.

Adventures in the New World

Aguirre arrived in Peru around 1536 or 1537. He worked with horses in Cuzco, an important city. He became an alderman, a local official, for the city. As a conquistador, he quickly became known for being harsh and for going against the Spanish Crown (the King's rule).

In 1544, Aguirre was involved in a conflict. The first viceroy (a governor representing the King) of Peru, Blasco Núñez Vela, arrived. He brought new laws to protect native people and stop them from being enslaved. Many conquistadors did not like these laws. They wanted to keep using native labor. Aguirre first joined a group that tried to free the viceroy. The viceroy had been put in prison. This group was against Gonzalo Pizarro, who led the conquistadors who opposed the new laws.

After this attempt failed, Aguirre went to Nicaragua. Later, he returned to Potosí in 1551. Potosí was then part of Peru.

A Quest for Revenge

A judge named Francisco de Esquivel arrested Aguirre. The judge said Aguirre had broken laws that protected native people. Aguirre was proud and felt insulted when the judge ordered him to be publicly whipped. He decided to get revenge on the judge.

The judge was afraid of Aguirre and kept moving to different cities. Aguirre followed him for three years, even walking without shoes. He chased Esquivel from Lima to Quito and then to Cuzco. Finally, Aguirre found the judge in Cuzco. The judge was taking a nap and wearing armor because he feared Aguirre. Aguirre killed him. Friends helped Aguirre hide, and he escaped.

In 1554, Aguirre joined an army to fight a rebellion. He was wounded in a battle. He was shot twice and got a permanent limp. This injury made some of his peers avoid him.

The Search for El Dorado

In 1560, Aguirre joined an expedition with his daughter, Elvira. This journey, led by Pedro de Ursúa, went down the Marañón and Amazon Rivers. The real reason for this trip was to send away soldiers who were causing trouble.

About a year later, Aguirre helped overthrow and kill Ursúa. He then took charge of the expedition. He and his men reached the Atlantic Ocean, likely by the Orinoco River. On March 23, 1561, Aguirre made his officers and soldiers sign a paper. This paper said he was the "Prince of Peru, Tierra Firme, and Chile."

In 1561, he took control of Isla Margarita, an island. He killed anyone who opposed him. When he tried to take Panama on the mainland, his open rebellion against the King of Spain ended. He was surrounded in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Royal soldiers captured him. He was then shot and killed by one of his own soldiers.

Aguirre in Popular Culture

Lope de Aguirre's story has been told in movies and books.

• He was played by Klaus Kinski in the movie Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972).
• Omero Antonutti played him in El Dorado (1988).
• Édgar Ramírez played him in Jungle Cruise (2021).

His journey is also the subject of several books. These include The Expedition of Orsua; and the Crimes of Aguirre (1821) by Robert Southey. Also, La aventura equinoccial de Lope de Aguirre (1968) by Ramón J. Sender. Stephen Minta's book Aguirre: The Re-Creation of a Sixteenth-Century Journey Across South America (1995) retraces his expedition.

See also

In Spanish: Lope de Aguirre para niños