Hernando Pizarro
Spanish conquistador and the only Pizarro brother to survive Peru.
Hernando Pizarro y de Vargas (c. 1504 – c. 1578) was a Spanish conquistador and a member of the Pizarro brothers, the family that governed Peru. Unlike his brothers, he was not killed in Peru and eventually went back to Spain. He was born to married parents, received an education, and had connections at the Spanish court. In 1530, he left for the New World with his half-brother Francisco Pizarro and took part in the conquests in Peru. He was a second cousin of Hernán Cortés through his father.
In 1533, after the Spanish conquered the Inca Empire, Hernando wrote a letter to the royal audience of Santo Domingo describing the expedition. He noted that the government had founded a town called San Miguel and then set out to find Cajamarca, where local rulers were fighting. In the letter, he described the mountain roads as remarkable, saying that despite the rough terrain, such well-built roads could not be found anywhere in Christendom. Most were paved, with stone or wooden bridges over every stream, and they crossed a large river twice on bridges made of network, which he called a marvel.
Later that year, Hernando was sent back to Spain with the royal fifth for Emperor Charles V, carrying many beautiful items collected from Atahuallpa’s ransom. He arrived in Seville on January 9, 1534, and met with Charles in Calatayud. After recounting the Pizarros’ adventures, Charles confirmed Francisco’s grants and extended them seventy leagues south, while giving Diego de Almagro a grant two hundred leagues further south.
Returning to Peru, Hernando ruled the Inca capital of Cuzco alongside his half-brothers Juan and Gonzalo. He governed harshly and helped put down uprisings led by Manco Inca. When Almagro returned from Chile empty-handed, he claimed Cuzco as his share and seized the city in 1537, capturing Hernando and Juan. After negotiations, Hernando was released, and in 1538 he and Gonzalo led an army against Almagro, defeating him at the Battle of Las Salinas. Almagro was executed later that year.
The fallout from the infighting reached the Spanish court. In 1539, Hernando returned to Spain to lobby for the Pizarros, but their reputation for treachery was too strong. Despite bribery, he was imprisoned for twenty years, from June 1541 to May 1561, in the Castle of La Mota. After his release, he lived in his palace in Trujillo until his death around 1578.
Quick Facts
- Birth Name
- Hernando Pizarro
- Nickname
- lima
- Birth Date
- c. 1504
- Birth Place
- Trujillo, Extremadura, Spain
- Death Date
- c.
- Burial Place
- San Francisco Church, Trujillo
- Allegiance
- Spanish Empire
- Rank
- Captain
- Battles
- Spanish conquest of Navarre / Italian Wars / Spanish conquest of Peru / Battle of Puná / Battle of Cajamarca / Siege of Cusco / Battle of Ollantaytambo / Battle of Las Salinas
- Awards
- Knight of the Order of Santiago
- Spouse
- Francisca Pizarro Yupanqui
- Children
- 5
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Hernando Pizarro departed for the New World in 1530 with his half-brother Francisco Pizarro and accompanied him during his conquests in Peru. In 1533 he was sent back to Spain with the royal fifth for the Emperor, which consisted of 'a number of the most beautiful articles' collected for Atahuallpa's ransom. He arrived in Seville on 9 January 1534, proceeded to Calatayud and had an audience with Charles, delivering the royal fifth and recounting the Pizarro brothers' adventures. Charles confirmed Francisco Pizarro's previous grants, extending them seventy leagues further south, and gave Francisco's partner Diego de Almagro a grant two hundred leagues further south.
When he returned to Peru, Hernando ruled with his other half-brothers Juan and Gonzalo Pizarro over the prized Inca capital of Cuzco. Governing with an iron fist, he helped suppress Inca uprisings led by Manco Inca. After Diego de Almagro seized Cuzco in 1537, capturing Hernando and Juan, Hernando was eventually released. In 1538 he and Gonzalo returned with an army to confront Almagro, winning a decisive victory at the Battle of Las Salinas and capturing Almagro and the city. The execution of Almagro later that year caused substantial fallout in the Spanish court, and Hernando returned to Spain in 1539 to lobby in favor of the Pizarros. Despite his bribery, he was imprisoned for the next twenty years, from June 1541 until May 1561, in the Castle of La Mota. He then lived in his Trujillo palace until his death in 1578.
Reader's Guide
Hernando Pizarro's significance lies in his role as a key figure in the Spanish conquest and governance of Peru, and as the only Pizarro brother to survive the conflicts in the New World and return to Spain. His letter to the royal audience of Santo Domingo in November 1533 provides a valuable contemporary account of the expedition, describing the remarkable Inca roads and bridges. His diplomatic missions to the Spanish court helped secure royal grants for the Pizarro brothers, though his later imprisonment for twenty years reflects the political fallout from the infighting among the conquistadors. His marriage to his niece Francisca Pizarro Yupanqui, daughter of Francisco Pizarro and his Inca mistress, ensured the continuation of the Pizarro line through their children, though it is now extinct in the male line. Hernando's life illustrates the complexities of Spanish colonial rule, including alliances, betrayals, and the blending of Spanish and Inca lineages.
Did You Know?
- Hernando Pizarro was the only one of the Pizarro brothers who was not killed in Peru.
- He was born in wedlock, unlike his half-brothers, and was educated and gained influence in the Spanish court.
- In 1552 he married his niece, the 17-year-old Francisca Pizarro Yupanqui, daughter of Francisco Pizarro and his Inca mistress Inés Yupanqui.
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