Pedro de Avendaño a Spanish soldier that had arrived in

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 ...

with the army of

García Hurtado de Mendoza García or Garcia may refer to: People * García (surname) * Kings of Pamplona/Navarre ** García Íñiguez of Pamplona, king of Pamplona 851/2–882 ** García Sánchez I of Pamplona, king of Pamplona 931–970 ** García Sánchez II of Pam ...

in 1557. He distinguished himself in the Battle of Millarapue. He later served in the garrison of Cañete under captain

Alonso de Reinoso Alonso de Reinoso (or Reynoso) (1518–1567) was a Spanish Conquistador in Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Chile. He was born in Torrijos Toledo, Spain in 1518. He was married to Catalina Flores de Riofrío before he came to the Americas in 1535. ...

. Reinoso eventually found an Indian who betrayed the location of the fugitive

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 sha ...

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 ('' ...

Caupolicán. Avendaño, with 50 men and the traitorous Indian as a guide, marched in stormy weather into the mountains to

Pilmaiquén Pilmaiquén or Pilmayquen ( Mapudungun for wanderer) is a riachuelo in the commune of Cañete in Arauco Province in the Bío Bío Region of Chile that flows southwest towards the coast of the Pacific Ocean, to the northwest of the city of Cañet ...

and captured Caupolicán as he was planning a new counter-offensive against the Spanish, near the modern

Antihuala Antihuala or Antiguala,(mapudungum: ''anti'': sun; ''huala'': duck.) is a town in the Los Álamos commune of the Arauco Province, Bío Bío Region, of Chile. On February 5, 1558, during the Arauco War, Pedro de Avendaño with sixty men captured ...

, on February 5, 1558. He brought the toqui back to Cañete where he was eventually executed by impalement at the order of

corregidor Corregidor ( tl, Pulo ng Corregidor, ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of the Province of Cavite. Due to this location, Corregidor has historically b ...

Reinoso. Given an

encomienda The ''encomienda'' () was a Spanish labour system that rewarded conquerors with the labour of conquered non-Christian peoples. The labourers, in theory, were provided with benefits by the conquerors for whom they laboured, including military ...

Purén Purén is a city (2002 pop. 12,868) and commune in Malleco Province of La Araucanía Region, Chile. It is located in the west base of the Nahuelbuta mountain range (650 km. south of Santiago). The economical activity of Purén is based in fo ...

, his bad treatment of the natives in his charge was infamous among the Mapuche. During the short interim governorship of

Rodrigo de Quiroga Rodrigo de Quiroga López de Ulloa (c. 1512 – February 20, 1580) was a Spanish conquistador of Galician origin. He was twice the Royal Governor of Chile. Early life He was the son of Hernado Camba de Quiroga and of María López de Ulloa. In ...

following the departure of Mendoza, in July 1561, Avendaño and two other Spaniards were ambushed and killed and their heads taken by a group of Mapuche under Guenupilqui near Purén.Rosales, Historia..., Tomo II, pg 103-104. Enrique de Flandes and Pedro Pagúete were the other two Spaniards. News of this killing and the display of the heads, triggered the second great Mapuche revolt 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 ...

References

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 ...

br> 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) *

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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 ...

br> 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) *

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Diego de Rosales Diego de Rosales (Madrid, 1601 - Santiago, 1677) was a Spanish chronicler and author of ''Historia General del Reino de Chile''. He studied in his hometown, where he also joined the Society of Jesus. He came to Chile in the year 1629, without ha ...

Historia general de el Reino de Chile, Flandes Indiano, Tomo II; Benjamín Vicuña Mackenna, Impr. del Mercurio, 1878.
Original from Harvard University, Digitized May 21, 2007 1561 deaths Spanish explorers People of the Arauco War 16th-century Spanish people Year of birth unknown {{Spain-mil-bio-stub