Pedro del Castillo facts for kids
Pedro del Castillo (born in Villalba de Rioja, Spain, in 1521 – died in Panama City, Panama, on March 28, 1569) was a Spanish explorer and leader, known as a conquistador. Conquistadors were Spanish adventurers who explored and claimed new lands for Spain in the 15th and 16th centuries.
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Pedro del Castillo's Life and Explorations
Pedro del Castillo played an important role in the early history of some parts of South America.
Early Career in America
Before his main expeditions, Pedro del Castillo worked as a corregidor in newly established towns in the Americas. A corregidor was a local government official who managed a town or district for the Spanish crown.
He later went to Chile and served under Francisco de Villagra. While there, he took part in the Arauco War, which was a long conflict between the Spanish and the Mapuche people, an indigenous group in Chile.
Founding Mendoza
In November 1560, the Governor of Chile, García Hurtado de Mendoza, gave Pedro del Castillo a very important job. He was made the "commander-in-chief and plenipotentiary for the province of Cuyo" (capitán general y teniente gobernador para poblar, fundar, repartir tierras y encomendar indios en la provincia de Cuyo). This meant he had the power to explore, establish new settlements, divide land, and manage the local indigenous people in the Cuyo region, which is now in western Argentina.
Castillo put together a team and led an expedition across the Andes mountains. They traveled through the Aconcagua and Uspallata valleys. On February 22, 1561, they reached the Huentata valley.
Just a few days later, on March 2, 1561, Pedro del Castillo officially founded the city of Mendoza. This city is still an important place in Argentina today.
Later Years and Death
After founding Mendoza, Pedro del Castillo was sent to Lima, Peru. Later, he moved to Panama. He passed away in Panama City in 1569.
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