Fort Colcura was a small fort that was the first

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

settlement that existed in the commune of

Lota, Chile Lota is a city and commune located in the center of Chile on the Gulf of Arauco (in Spanish), in the southern Concepción Province of the Biobío Region, 39 kilometres south of Concepción, and is one of the ten cities (communes) that constitu ...

. It was on a small height on the edge of the

Bay of Arauco Bay of Arauco or Bahia de Araucan, is a bay located on the coast of the Arauco Province, of the Bío Bío Region of Chile. The bay, is between the mountains of the Nahuelbuta Range to the east and to the west the Santa Maria Island and northwest ...

, a little more than two kilometers to the southeast of the modern city of Lota. From its position it dominated the north slope of cerro

Marihueñu Marihueñu or Marigueno is a large hill in the Nahuelbuta Range near the coast in the Lota, Chile, Lota commune of the Bío Bío Region of southern Chile. Its name is from the Mapudungun ''mari'', "ten" and ''huenu'', "heights". This height was w ...

and the valley of Colcura in whose extreme west is the mouth of the riachuelo Colcura that empties into the cove of Colcura. This place was established as a small fort at the start of the

conquest Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, t ...

, and was several times destroyed by the

Moluche The Moluche ("people from where the sun sets" or "people from the west") or Nguluche are an indigenous peoples of the Americas, indigenous people of Chile. Their language was a dialect of Mapudungun, a Mapuche language. At the beginning of the Con ...

s and repaired. Following the Mapuche Uprising of 1598 it was rebuilt again in 1602 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 ...

Alonso de Ribera Alonso de Ribera y Zambrano (; 1560 – March 9, 1617) was a Spanish soldier and twice Spanish royal governor of Chile (1601–1605 and 1612–1617). Early life Born in Úbeda, he was the illegitimate son of Hidalgo and Captain Jorge de Ribera Za ...

. After the

Mapuche Insurrection of 1655 The Mapuche uprising of 1655 ( es, alzamiento mapuche de 1655 or ) was a series of coordinated Mapuche attacks against Spanish settlements and forts in colonial Chile. It was the worst military crisis in Chile in decades, and contemporaries even ...

Pedro Porter Casanate Admiral Pedro Porter y Casanate (April 30, 1611 – February 27, 1662) was a Spanish sailor, soldier, explorer of California and Royal Governor of Chile from 1656 to 1662. Early life Porter was born in Zaragoza, the second son of Juan Porter and E ...

built a new fortress of ''San Miguel Arcángel de Colcura'' on the same site in 1662.

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. 157 Colcura
Calcura 1602 establishments in the Captaincy General of Chile Coasts of Biobío Region Buildings and structures in Biobío Region {{Chile-struct-stub

See also

Sources