Lorenzo Bernal del Mercado (1530–1593) was a Spanish captain who was one of the more successful soldiers in the

Arauco War The Arauco War was a long-running conflict between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people, mostly fought in the Araucanía. The conflict began at first as a reaction to the Spanish conquerors attempting to establish cities and force Mapuche ...

in Chile rising to the rank of

Maestre de Campo ''Maestre de campo'' was a rank created in 1534 by the Emperor Carlos V, inferior in rank only to the ''capitán general'' and acted as a chief of staff. He was chosen by the monarch in the Council of State, and commanded a '' tercio''. Their po ...

and temporary

Capitán General Captain general (and its literal equivalent in several languages) is a high military rank of general officer grade, and a gubernatorial title. History The term "Captain General" started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of Command ...

of the

Captaincy General of Chile The Captaincy General of Chile (''Capitanía General de Chile'' ) or Governorate of Chile (known colloquially and unofficially as the Kingdom of Chile), was a territory of the Spanish Empire from 1541 to 1817 that was, for most of its existenc ...

. Lorenzo Bernal del Mercado was born in

Cantalapiedra Cantalapiedra is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile and León. It is located from the city of Salamanca and has a population of 1250 people. The municipality covers ...

Salamanca Salamanca () is a city in western Spain and is the capital of the Province of Salamanca in the autonomous community of Castile and León. The city lies on several rolling hills by the Tormes River. Its Old City was declared a UNESCO World Herit ...

in 1530. He was the son of Francisco Martinez Nieto and Ana Bernal del Mercado. He traveled to the Americas in 1541 with the expedition of Blasco Nuñez de Vela, recently named

Viceroy of Peru The viceroys of Peru ruled the Viceroyalty of Peru from 1544 to 1824 in the name of the monarch of Spain. The territories under ''de jure'' rule by the viceroys included in the 16th and 17th century almost all of South America except eastern Braz ...

. From

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, he went to Bolivia where he had some success. In 1549, he joined with

Pedro de Valdivia Pedro Gutiérrez de Valdivia or Valdiva (; April 17, 1497 – December 25, 1553) was a Spanish conquistador and the first royal governor of Chile. After serving with the Spanish army in Italy and Flanders, he was sent to South America in 1534, wh ...

coming to

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

from the valley of Potosí, Valdivia gave him an encomienda in the area of the present

Valdivia Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau R ...

, naming him temporary captain of the new city. The death of Valdivia at the hands of

Lautaro Lautaro (Anglicized as 'Levtaru') ( arn, Lef-Traru " swift hawk") (; 1534? – April 29, 1557) was a young Mapuche toqui known for leading the indigenous resistance against Spanish conquest in Chile and developing the tactics that would conti ...

made so deep an impression on him that he left his encomienda and served under

Francisco de Villagra Francisco de Villagra Velázquez (1511 – 22 July 1563) was a Spanish conquistador, and three times governor of Chile. Early life Born at Santervás de Campos, he was the son of Alvaro de Sarría and Ana Velázquez de Villagra, who were not m ...

in the war. Bernal del Mercado showed intelligence, bravery and an energetic character. He also had a deep and lasting hatred towards the

Mapuche The Mapuche ( (Mapuche & Spanish: )) are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who s ...

. The defense of the fort of Los Infantes was in his charge and he served under governor Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza and

Pedro de Villagra Pedro de Villagra y Martínez (1513 in Mombeltrán, Ávila Province – September 11, 1577 in Lima) was a Spanish soldier who participated in the conquest of Chile, being appointed its Royal Governor between 1563 and 1565. His father was Juan d ...

and the government of the

Real Audiencia A ''Real Audiencia'' (), or simply an ''Audiencia'' ( ca, Reial Audiència, Audiència Reial, or Audiència), was an appellate court in Spain and its empire. The name of the institution literally translates as Royal Audience. The additional des ...

. In 1564, he defeated and killed the

toqui Toqui (or Toki) (Mapudungun for ''axe'' or ''axe-bearer'') is a title conferred by the Mapuche (an indigenous Chilean and Argentinian people) on those chosen as leaders during times of war. The toqui is chosen in an assembly or parliament ('' c ...

Illangulién Illangulién, ''Quiromanite'', ''Queupulien'' or ''Antiguenu'', was the Mapuche toqui (war leader) elected to replace Lemucaguin or Caupolicán the younger in 1559 following the Battle of Quiapo to his death in battle in the Battle of Angol in 1564 ...

in the

Battle of Angol The Battle of Angol was a battle fought between the Mapuche and the Spanish Empire on 25 March 1564 as part of Arauco War. In Los Infantes captain Lorenzo Bernal del Mercado had discovered that the rebels had constructed a '' pukara'' close by, ...

. He gained a good reputation from his successes in the War of Arauco, and for that reason was appointed Maestro de Campo and in addition corregidor of Concepción in 1565 and of

Santiago Santiago (, ; ), also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile as well as one of the largest cities in the Americas. It is the center of Chile's most densely populated region, the Santiago Metropolitan Region, whos ...

in 1583. In 1570, he was named to carry out the war as temporary

after the governor

Melchor Bravo de Saravia Melchor Bravo de Saravia y Sotomayor (1512 – 1577) was a Spanish conquistador, interim viceroy of Peru, and Royal Governor of Chile. Early career He was born in Soria, Spain, the son of Juan de Saravia and María Mayor de Vera y Morales. ...

resigned the post and appointed him in his place. The experience and prestige that he accumulated was immense and had all the merit to be named as

Royal Governor of Chile The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General. There were 66 such governors or captains du ...

, but his hard and undiplomatic character worked against him. He remained as Maestro de Campo until 1583, and was soon after named Captain of the line of defense. Sometimes he acted as an advisor to the king providing to him with detailed information on the state of the war. He died in Angol in 1593, without becoming governor.

Sources

Alonso de Góngora Marmolejo Alonso de Góngora Marmolejo (1523–1575) was a Spanish conquistador and chronicler of the early conquest and settlement of the Captaincy General of Chile, and the start of the Arauco War. Biography Marmolejo was born in the town of Carmona, Anda ...

Historia de Todas las Cosas que han Acaecido en el Reino de Chile y de los que lo han gobernado (1536-1575) (History of All the Things that Have happened in the Kingdom of Chile and of those that have governed it (1536-1575))
Edición digital a partir de Crónicas del Reino de Chile, Madrid, Atlas, 1960, pp. 75–224, (on line in Spanish) *

Pedro Mariño de Lobera Pedro Mariño de Lobera (1528–1594) was a Galician soldier, conquistador and chronicler of the Arauco War in the Captaincy General of Chile. Biography A professional soldier who served in the war between Spain and France, he went to the Americ ...

Crónica del Reino de Chile, escrita por el capitán Pedro Mariño de Lobera....reducido a nuevo método y estilo por el Padre Bartolomé de Escobar. Edición digital a partir de Crónicas del Reino de Chile Madrid, Atlas, 1960, pp. 227-562, (Biblioteca de Autores Españoles ; 569-575).
Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (on line in Spanish)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bernal del Mercado, Lorenzo Spanish captain generals Encomenderos 1530 births 1593 deaths People from the Province of Salamanca People of the Arauco War People of the Spanish colonial Americas Spanish colonial governors and administrators Captaincy General of Chile 16th-century Chilean people 16th-century Bolivian people 16th-century Peruvian people