Diego de Almagro
Spanish conquistador who explored Peru and Chile, then fought Pizarro.
Diego de Almagro (c. 1475 – July 8, 1538), also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo, was a Spanish conquistador active in western South America. He participated with Francisco Pizarro in the Spanish conquest of Peru and laid the foundation for the Spanish cities of Quito and Trujillo. He led the first Spanish military expedition from Peru into central Chile, and later fought a civil war against the Pizarro brothers over control of Cuzco, which ended with his defeat at the Battle of Las Salinas and his execution.
- born
- c. 1475, Almagro or Malagón, Ciudad Real, Spain
- died
- July 8, 1538
- field
- Conquistador
- nationality
- Spanish
- known_for
- Participation in the Spanish conquest of Peru, founding of Quito and Trujillo, first Spanish expedition to central Chile, conflict with Francisco Pizarro
Lore & Background
Diego de Almagro was born around 1475 in the village of Almagro or in Malagón, in Ciudad Real, the illegitimate son of Juan de Montenegro and Elvira Gutiérrez. Raised by relatives and an uncle, he ran away at age fifteen after harsh treatment, received bread and coins from his mother, and traveled to Seville. There he became a servant of Don Luis Gonzalez de Polanco, but after stabbing another servant in an argument, he was allowed to embark for the New World through Polanco's influence. He arrived in Panama on June 30, 1514, with the expedition of Pedro Arias Dávila.
In Panama, Almagro settled in Darien, received an encomienda, and undertook his first independent conquest in November 1515, founding Villa del Acla. He later joined expeditions with Gaspar de Espinosa and Francisco Pizarro, forming a close friendship with Pizarro and Hernando de Luque. He also befriended Vasco Núñez de Balboa. By 1524, Almagro, Pizarro, and Luque formalized an association to conquer lands further south. During the first expedition, Almagro lost an eye to an arrow at the Battle of Punta Quemada. He later joined Pizarro in Peru after the Battle of Cajamarca, bringing more men and arms.
Almagro helped found Santiago de Quito in August 1534 and Trujillo in Peru. However, a dispute with Pizarro over control of Cuzco escalated into civil war. Almagro was defeated by the Pizarro brothers at the Battle of Las Salinas in 1538 and was executed months later.
Reader's Guide
Diego de Almagro's significance lies in his role as a key figure in the Spanish conquest of western South America, particularly in the early consolidation of Spanish power in Peru and the exploration of Chile. His partnership with Francisco Pizarro was instrumental in the defeat of the Inca Empire, and his founding of Quito and Trujillo established important colonial cities. However, his legacy is also marked by the violent conflict with Pizarro over the spoils of conquest, which led to a civil war among the conquistadors and his own execution. This internal strife highlights the factionalism and personal ambition that often characterized Spanish colonial expansion. Almagro's expedition to central Chile, though ultimately unsuccessful in establishing a permanent settlement, opened the region to later Spanish colonization. His life reflects both the opportunities and the brutal rivalries of the early Spanish Empire in the Americas.
Did You Know?
- Diego de Almagro lost an eye to an arrow at the Battle of Punta Quemada.
- He founded the city of Santiago de Quito in August 1534 on the shores of Laguna de Colta.
- Almagro was executed on July 8, 1538, months after his defeat at the Battle of Las Salinas.
- His mother gave him a piece of bread and some coins when he ran away at age fifteen, saying 'Take, son, and do not give me more trouble, and go, and God help you in your adventure.'
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