San Cristóbal de La Paz was a

fortress A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

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 ...

that was established in 1621 by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Cristóbal de la Cerda y Sotomayor Cristóbal de la Cerda y Sotomayor, (México 1585? – † ? ); Spanish oidor, lawyer of the Real Audiencia of Chile. After the death of governor Lope de Ulloa y Lemos Lope de Ulloa y Lemos (1572? in Galicia – December 8, 1620 in Concepcion ...

. It was located five or six kilometers to the southwest of

Yumbel Yumbel is a List of cities in Chile, city and Communes of Chile, commune of the Bío Bío Province, Province of Bío Bío in the Region of Biobio, region of the same name, Chile. History Yumbel originated from the small fort of ''San Felipe de Aus ...

on the west shore of the Claro River to the north of its confluence with the Laja River. In 1646 a mission and a small church was established that grew into a settlement with a few inhabitants. In February 1655 both the fort and settlement were destroyed by 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 sha ...

, and it was reestablished in 1663 under the temporary governor

Ángel de Peredo Ángel de Peredo (born 1623 in Queveda, Cantabria, Spain) was a Knight of the Order of Santiago. He was the President of the Royal Audiencia of Santiago, Real Audiencia of Chile and then temporary Royal Governor of Chile from May 1662 to February ...

. This settlement lasted until the Mapuche rising of 1766 when it was abandoned and never rebuilt.

Sources

Francisco Solano Asta-Buruaga y Cienfuegos Francisco Solano Asta-Buruaga y Cienfuegos (July 21, 1817 – June 13, 1892) was a Chilean politician and lawyer. Biography Astaburuaga was born in Talca on July 21, 1817. His parents were Cayetano Astaburuaga Valdovinos and Petronila Cienfuego ...

Diccionario geográfico de la República de Chile, SEGUNDA EDICIÓN CORREGIDA Y AUMENTADA, NUEVA YORK, D. APPLETON Y COMPAÑÍA. 1899. Pg. 692 San Cristóbal
*

Diego Barros Arana Diego Jacinto Agustín Barros Arana (; August 16, 1830 – November 4, 1907) was a Chilean professor, legislator, minister and diplomat. He is considered the most important Chilean historian of the 19th century. His main work ''General History of ...

Historia general de Chile, Tomo cuarto, Capítulo V, pg.169-170.
Populated places established in 1621 Geography of Biobío Region Fortifications in Chile 17th-century establishments in the Captaincy General of Chile 1621 establishments in the Spanish Empire {{fort-stub