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| Jerónimo de Alderete | |
|---|---|
| Name | Jerónimo de Alderete |
| Birth date | c. 1518 |
| Birth place | Zaragoza, Crown of Aragon |
| Death date | 1 December 1556 |
| Death place | Panama City, Viceroyalty of Peru |
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Occupation | Conquistador, colonial administrator |
| Known for | Conquest of Chile, governorship appointment |
Jerónimo de Alderete was a 16th-century Spanish conquistador and colonial official who participated in the conquest of Chile and was later appointed governor of the Captaincy General of Chile. A native of Aragon, he served under notable conquistadors and colonial authorities during campaigns across the Americas and became entangled in the political struggles of the Viceroyalty of Peru and the Spanish Crown. Alderete's career intersected with leading figures, institutions, and conflicts of early colonial South America.
Alderete was born in Zaragoza within the Crown of Aragon around 1518 and belonged to a generation shaped by the reign of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor and the legacy of the Reconquista. His family background tied him to Aragonese nobility networks linked to the House of Habsburg and he departed for the Americas during the period of expansion following the Treaty of Tordesillas. Upon arrival, Alderete entered the orbit of prominent figures including Pedro de Valdivia, Francisco Pizarro, and contemporaries shaped by the aftermath of the Conquest of the Inca Empire and the establishment of the Viceroyalty of Peru. He sought patronage from colonial institutions such as the Real Audiencia of Lima and the Council of the Indies as he pursued military and administrative advancement.
Alderete participated in expeditions launched from Cuzco and Lima toward the south under the command of Pedro de Valdivia during the 1540s, joining campaigns that established settlements like Santiago de Chile and Concepción, Chile. He fought in engagements associated with the Arauco War against Mapuche resistance and saw action in battles connected to commanders such as García Hurtado de Mendoza and Diego de Almagro (the Younger). Alderete's service in Chile intertwined with efforts to secure Spanish control over territories described in reports to the Casa de Contratación and petitions to the Spanish Crown. He navigated the rivalries spawned by competing conquistadors, including the legacy disputes of Diego de Almagro and the factionalism following the death of Diego de Almagro (elder).
Following military service, Alderete occupied administrative posts under provincial authorities and sought formal recognition from the Council of the Indies and the Royal Chancery of Valladolid for his rights and appointments. He became involved in the contested governorship succession in Chile after the death of Pedro de Valdivia and during the campaigns of Francisco de Villagra and Gonzalo Pizarro (conquistador). Alderete obtained a royal commission naming him governor, a writ associated with Philip II of Spain and ratified through channels involving the Viceroyalty of Peru and the Royal Court of Spain. His appointment provoked responses from the Real Audiencia of Charcas and the Real Audiencia of Lima, and intersected with orders issued by the Casa de Contratación about jurisdictional authority and shipments to the Americas.
During campaigns in the southern reaches of the former Inca Empire and in Chilean territories, Alderete engaged with indigenous polities including the Mapuche, Diaguita, and communities linked to the former Inca sphere. His military actions occurred within the broader context of the Arauco War and contemporaneous negotiations, treaties, and armed confrontations that involved leaders such as Lautaro and Caupolicán. Reports and correspondence attributed to commanders in which Alderete participated referenced encomienda allocations overseen by institutions like the Council of the Indies and legal frameworks shaped by jurists from the University of Salamanca and clerics associated with Pedro de Valdivia's circle. Interaction with indigenous populations also connected Alderete to colonial debates influenced by figures such as Bartolomé de las Casas and the implementation of reforms emanating from the Laws of Burgos.
After securing his royal commission, Alderete embarked toward Spain via transatlantic and isthmian routes that passed through ports such as Panama City (Panama) and involved logistical hubs like the Portobelo and convoys organized under the Casa de Contratación. He died in Panama in December 1556 before taking full possession of his governorship, during a period when figures like García Hurtado de Mendoza and Francisco de Villagra continued to vie for control in Chile. Alderete's papers, petitions, and the controversies around his appointment survive in archives related to the Council of the Indies and influenced subsequent appointments by Philip II of Spain. His role is noted in chronicles and administrative records alongside contemporaries including Pedro Mariño de Lobera, Jerónimo de Vivar, Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga, and chroniclers whose narratives shaped historiography in works associated with the Biblioteca Nacional de España collections. Modern historians of the Conquest of Chile and colonial administration reference Alderete in studies tied to archival materials from the Archivo General de Indias and scholarship emerging from universities such as the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile and the Universidad de Chile.
Category:16th-century Spanish people Category:Conquistadors Category:People from Zaragoza