Diego de Holguín (1486 – 1556) was a Spanish ''
conquistador'' and the first
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...
of
San Salvador, serving from 1525 to 1528. He participated in the conquest of many nations in the Caribbean islands, Central America and Mexico, where he became famous for his courage.
Biography
Diego de Holguín was born around 1486 in a Spanish town called Tona or Sona. He arrived in the Americas very young and settled in the Spanish colony in present day
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares with ...
in 1506. There, he participated in the foundation of the cities of
Aragua
Aragua State ( es, Estado Aragua, ) is one of the 23 states of Venezuela. It is located in the north-central region of Venezuela. It has plains and jungles and Caribbean beaches. The most popular are Cata and Choroni. It has Venezuela's first n ...
,
Puerto Real
Puerto Real () is a seaport in Andalusia, in the province of Cádiz. , it had a population of 40,667.
The town is located on the northern shore of the inner lobe of the Bay of Cádiz, on the site of the ancient Roman settlement of Portus Gad ...
, and
Ciudad de la Vega.
Holguín participated in the conquest of
Guatemala and
El Salvador under the command of
Pedro de Alvarado. He was alderman of the municipality of
Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala
Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala ("St. James of the Knights of Guatemala") was the name given to the capital city of the Spanish colonial Captaincy General of Guatemala in Central America.
History
;Quauhtemallan — Guatemala
:The name was ...
. Along with
Gonzalo de Alvarado
Gonzalo de Alvarado y Contreras was a Spanish conquistador and brother of Pedro de Alvarado who participated in campaigns in Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador (co-founding its present capital, San Salvador).
Gonzalo de Alvarado was a native of ...
, was one of the founders of the first settlement of San Salvador, next to a fortress Cuzcatlecos, and became its first mayor in April 1525, serving until April 1528. The city he founded, now known as
Ciudad Vieja, was later refounded in the location where
San Salvador currently is located.
Óscar Romero freeway was originally to be called Diego de Holguín.
References
Citations
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Holguin, Diego de
Spanish conquistadors
16th-century Spanish people
1486 births
1556 deaths
San Salvador
Mayors of places in El Salvador
Mayors of San Salvador