Francisco Hernández de Córdoba (; – 1526) is usually reputed as the founder of

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

, and in fact he founded two important Nicaraguan cities,

Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...

and León. The currency of Nicaragua is named the '' córdoba'' in his memory. Córdoba was an officer of

Pedro Arias Dávila Pedro Arias de Ávila (c. 1440 – 6 March 1531; often Pedro Arias Dávila or Pedrarias Dávila) was a Spanish soldier and colonial administrator. He led the first great Spanish expedition to the mainland of the Americas. There, he served as go ...

, known also as Pedrarias Dávila.León, P., 1998, The Discovery and Conquest of Peru, Chronicles of the New World Encounter, edited and translated by Cook and Cook, Durham: Duke University Press,

Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca (December 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions o ...

and Hernán Ponce de León supported Córdoba during the conquest of Nicaragua in 1524, in return for support against

Cristóbal de Olid Cristóbal de Olid (; 1487–1524) was a Spanish adventurer, conquistador and rebel who played a part in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and present-day Honduras. Born in Baeza, Olid grew up in the household of the governor of Cuba, Diego V ...

. Dávila considered Córdoba an insurrectionist and a traitor, and finally captured and beheaded him. His remains were found in 2000 in León Viejo, Nicaragua.Article on Latinamericanstudies.org
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* Spanish conquistadors Spanish colonization of the Americas 16th-century Spanish people 16th-century Nicaraguan people City founders 1470s births 1526 deaths People executed for treason against Spain People executed by Spain by decapitation Executed Spanish people {{explorer-stub