Diego de Almagro
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- For the city in Chile, see Diego de Almagro, Chile.
Image:Almagro.jpg Diego de Almagro (1475 – 1538), also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo (The Elder), was a Spanish conquistador and a companion and rival of Francisco Pizarro. Born in Aldea del Rey, one account states he was a foundling in the village from which he derived his name. He later lost his left eye battling with coastal natives in the New World.
In 1525 he joined the Pizarro brothers and Hernando de Luque at Panama for the conquest of Peru.
Almagro is credited as the European discoverer of Chile. After the Spanish conquest of Peru, Almagro was dissatisfied that the country had been given to Pizarro without a major role for him. After complaining, he got Spanish royal permission to conquer the region south of Peru. His epic journey south started in Cuzco, Peru. With the help of Inca Paullu, a son of the Inca ruler Huayna Capac, he led his men over the Andes mountains, at the latitude of the current city of Copiapó, at a great cost in life. He traveled further south to the Aconcagua river, where hostile Mapuche Indians forced him to turn back north, without the treasure and riches he had hoped to find. On his voyage north he encountered the Atacama desert, where lack of water and food also took their toll. He never founded a city in the territory of (what is now) Chile.
Upon his return to Peru in 1536, Almagro was bitter and eager to claim the riches of the city of Cuzco for himself. In the previous year, the Inca Manco had briefly recaptured the royal city and weakened the Spanish hold in the Sacred Valley. Hoping to enlist the help of the Inca, Almagro offered Manco Inca a pardon on behalf of the Spanish government. Manco Inca never officially joined Almagro in his attack on Cuzco. However, most of Hernándo Pizarro's army marched into the Andes in pursuit of Manco Inca, allowing Almagro's men to claim the city for themselves.
Image:Diego-de-Almagro capture.png The Pizarro brothers led by Gonzalo defeated and captured Almagro at the Battle of Las Salinas (near Cuzco) in April 1538. Almagro was executed three months later in July 8, 1538. His men then turned against Francisco Pizarro and killed him in Lima in 1541.
El Mozo
Diego de Almagro II (1520-1542), known as El Mozo (The Lad), son of Diego de Almagro I, whose mother was an Indian girl of Panama, became the foil of the conspirators who had put Pizzaro to the sword. The marquis was murdered on June 26, 1541; the conspirators promptly proclaimed the lad Almagro Governor of Peru. From various causes, all of the conspirators either died or were killed except for one, who was executed after the lad Almagro gave an order. The lad Almagro fought a desperate battle on September 16, 1542, escaped to Cuzco, but was arrested, immediately condemned to death, and executed in the great square of the city.
See also
ca:Diego de Almagro de:Diego de Almagro (Vater) es:Diego de Almagro fr:Diego de Almagro nl:Diego de Almagro pl:Diego de Almagro pt:Diego de Almagro, o Velho fi:Diego de Almagro sv:Diego de Almagro