Don Garcí Manuel de Carbajal (died 1552) was a Spanish lieutenant and occasional soldier who founded the city of

Arequipa Arequipa (; Aymara language, Aymara and ), also known by its nicknames of ''Ciudad Blanca'' (Spanish for "White City") and ''León del Sur'' (Spanish for "South's Lion"), is a city in Peru and the capital of the eponymous Arequipa (province), ...

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

on 15 August 1540, calling it "La Villa Hermosa de Arequipa." Carbajal was born in

Plasencia Plasencia () is a municipality of Spain belonging to the province of Cáceres, Extremadura. , it has a population of 41,047. Plasencia is located in the Western-Central Iberian Peninsula, to the south of the Sistema Central. Housing primarily ...

, Extremadura, Spain and explored present-day Arequipa as an emissary of Spanish conquistador

Francisco Pizarro Francisco Pizarro, Marquess of the Atabillos (; ; – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish ''conquistador'', best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Born in Trujillo, Cáceres, Trujillo, Spain, to a poor fam ...

. Soon after the capture and execution of

Atahualpa Atahualpa (), also Atawallpa or Ataw Wallpa ( Quechua) ( 150226 July 1533), was the last effective Inca emperor, reigning from April 1532 until his capture and execution in July of the following year, as part of the Spanish conquest of the In ...

and the conquest of the

Inca Empire The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

was assured,

sent numerous Spanish delegations across

to discover new cities to consolidate his newly acquired dominions. Such was the case behind the exploration of what would become the city of Arequipa: the Spanish delegation led by Carbajal followed the advice of Pizarro and journeyed to Southern Peru. During the exploration, Carbajal and his followers reached the coast of

Camaná Camaná is the district capital of the homonymous province, located in the Department of Arequipa, Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in ...

and settled there briefly. To their dismay, however, many started suffering from fever and other illnesses and soon decided they needed a healthier, more hospitable place for their habitation. As a result, the conquistadors decided to move inland and soon reached the current site of Arequipa's Plaza de Armas cathedral, planting a cross in the empty territory as a sign and custom for the construction of a new cathedral. Other local historians suggest Carbajal decided to make this the main plaza as it afforded a great background view of a majestic

volcano A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most oft ...

in the background. Carbajal also began establishing the grid of streets as drawn up by the orders of Pizarro. Many of the other early developments of the city were done under the direct guidance of Carbajal and in consultation with Pizarro and his followers. Some accounts say Pizarro himself was in Arequipa in 1539 with the intention of participating in the city's foundation, but had to leave immediately upon being called to attend peace negotiations with

Manco Inca Manco Inca Yupanqui (1544) was the founder and first Sapa Inca of the independent Neo-Inca State in Vilcabamba, Peru, Vilcabamba, although he was originally a Puppet government, puppet Inca Emperor installed by the Spaniards. He was also known ...

in Yucay (30 km away from

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain ridge at . Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is the most familiar icon of the Inca Empire. It is located in the ...

). Of the developments in Arequipa after these years little is known. Carbajal, meanwhile, decided to build his permanent living quarters in what would later be called "La Mansión del Fundador," located on the bank of the Socabaya River in the small countryside town of Huasacache (10 km from the Plaza de Armas). Throughout the centuries the house deteriorated but was again restored in the early 1980s and is now frequently visited by tourists despite having changed owners many times. After Carbajal's death in 1552, his burial site remained unknown; however, according to local legends his remains were interred at a supposed subterranean pathway under Arequipa's Plaza de Armas cathedral, like Francisco Pizarro's body in

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

External links

History of Garcí Manuel de Carbajal's Mansion

(in Spanish) {{DEFAULTSORT:Carbajal, Garci Manuel de 1552 deaths Year of birth unknown Extremaduran conquistadors 16th-century Peruvian people 16th-century Spanish military personnel People from Plasencia

See also

External links