Pedro Pizarro facts for kids

Pedro Pizarro (born around 1515 – died around 1602) was a Spanish writer and soldier. He was a key person in most of the events during the Spanish conquest of Peru. He wrote a long book about these events called Relación del descubrimiento y conquista de los reinos del Perú (which means "Relation of the discovery and conquest of the kingdoms of Peru"). He finished writing his book in 1571.

Life of Pedro Pizarro

Pedro Pizarro was born in the Spanish city of Toledo around the year 1515. He was the first cousin of Francisco Pizarro, who was a very famous Spanish conquistador. Pedro also had other famous cousins, including Gonzalo Pizarro, Hernando Pizarro, and Juan Pizarro.

Journey to Peru

When Francisco Pizarro planned his third big trip to Peru, Pedro joined him and his brothers. They set sail from Spain in February 1530. They arrived in Tumbes, which is now part of Peru, in January 1531. At first, Pedro worked as a page for his cousin Francisco. But by 1533, he became an active soldier, riding horses in battles.

Fighting in the Conquest

As a cavalryman, Pedro Pizarro took part in many important events during the conquest of the Inca empire. He was especially involved in the fights against Manco Inca, who was an Inca ruler.

Pedro Pizarro also fought in the Battle of Las Salinas on April 26, 1538. This battle was against Diego de Almagro, who was a rival of Francisco Pizarro. After this, Pedro helped to establish the city of Arequipa on August 15, 1540, and he settled there.

Later, in 1541, some followers of Almagro rebelled and killed Francisco Pizarro. Pedro Pizarro then fought against them in the Battle of Chupas on September 16, 1542. He fought under the command of Cristóbal Vaca de Castro. When his cousin Gonzalo Pizarro rebelled against the Spanish King, Pedro Pizarro chose to stay loyal to the Crown and refused to join Gonzalo's rebellion.

Later Life and Family

Even though he faced some challenges, Pedro Pizarro became a rich and well-respected man. In 1538, he received land and native workers in Arequipa and other areas from Francisco Pizarro. He continued to receive more land and rewards over time.

Pedro Pizarro had a daughter named Isabel when he was young. Later, he had many more children with his wives. He was married twice. His first wife was María Cornejo, but we don't know much about his second wife. Pedro Pizarro's exact death date is not known, but it was sometime after 1571, when he finished his famous book. He might have lived until 1602.

Pedro Pizarro's Book: Relación

Pedro Pizarro wrote a detailed book about the Spanish conquest of Peru. He based it on what he saw and experienced from 1531 to 1555. He finished this book in 1571 and titled it Relación del descubrimiento y conquista de los reinos del Perú.

Where to Find the Book

The original handwritten copy of Relación that was kept at the National Library of Spain has been lost. However, there is still one copy left, which is located at The Huntington Library.

For a long time, the book was only available as a handwritten copy. It was first published in a collection of historical documents in 1844 in Madrid, Spain. The first time it was translated into English was in 1921 by Philip A. Means in New York. Today, a well-known Spanish version of the book was edited by Guillermo Lohmann Villena in 1978 in Lima, Peru.

See also

In Spanish: Pedro Pizarro para niños