Diego de Almagro
Spanish conquistador who helped conquer Peru and led the first Spanish expedition to Chile.
Diego de Almagro (c. 1475 – July 8, 1538), called El Adelantado and El Viejo, was a Spanish conquistador active in western South America. He fought alongside Francisco Pizarro in the conquest of the Inca Empire, and during that campaign helped establish the Spanish cities of Quito (in modern Ecuador) and Trujillo (in modern Peru). Almagro later led the first Spanish military expedition from Peru into central Chile. After returning to Peru, a dispute with Pizarro over control of the former Inca capital, Cuzco, sparked a civil war between their followers. Almagro was defeated by the Pizarro brothers at the Battle of Las Salinas in 1538 and executed a few months later.
Almagro was born in 1475, either in the village of Almagro or in Malagón, in Ciudad Real. He was the illegitimate son of Juan de Montenegro and Elvira Gutiérrez, and was given the village name as his surname. To protect his mother’s honor, relatives took him as an infant to Bolaños de Calatrava, where he was raised by Sancha López del Peral, and later moved to Aldea del Rey. At age four he returned to Almagro to live with an uncle, Hernán Gutiérrez. At fifteen, after harsh treatment, he ran away. He visited his mother, now remarried, who gave him bread and coins and told him to go, wishing him luck. He went to Seville, where he likely stole to survive, then became a servant to Don Luis Gonzalez de Polanco, a royal official. While in Seville, Almagro stabbed another servant in an argument, causing serious injury and facing trial. Don Luis used his influence to get Pedro Arias Dávila to let Almagro sail to the New World from Sanlucar de Barrameda; Don Polanco also provided his weapons, clothes, and tools, as required by the Casa de Contratacion.
Almagro arrived in the New World on June 30, 1514, with an expedition sent by Ferdinand II of Aragon under Dávila. They landed at Santa María la Antigua del Darién, Panama, where many future conquistadors—including Francisco Pizarro—were already gathered. Little is known of Almagro’s activities from 1514 to 1515, but he sailed with various crews from Darién, then returned, settled, received an encomienda, built a house, and farmed. In November 1515 he led his first independent conquest with 260 men, founding Villa del Acla, but illness forced him to hand command to Gaspar de Espinosa. Espinosa then launched a new expedition in December 1515 with 200 men, including Almagro and Pizarro (now a captain). During the 14-month journey, the three became close friends. Almagro also befriended Vasco Núñez de Balboa, then in charge of Acla, and wanted to build a ship from leftover materials to reach the Pacific coast. Historians doubt Almagro joined Balboa’s expedition; he likely returned to Darién. He took part in Espinosa’s expeditions in the Gulf of Panama, which used Balboa’s ships, and was recorded as a witness when Espinosa ordered natives to be carried off. Almagro then settled in the new city of Panama for four years, managing his own and Pizarro’s properties. He took an indigenous woman, Ana Martínez, as his common-law wife; their son, El Mozo, was born during this time. Some accounts say Almagro’s former black slave Malgarida was the mother of his other son, Diego de Almagro II.
By 1524, Almagro, Pizarro, and Hernando de Luque formalized an association to conquer lands farther south. In early August 1524 they got permission to explore and conquer. During the first expedition, Almagro lost an eye to an arrow at the Battle of Punta Quemada. He then stayed in Panama to recruit men and gather supplies for Pizarro’s expeditions. After several voyages, Pizarro secured his position in Peru with the Capitulation of July 6, 1529. During Pizarro’s exploration of Inca territory, he and his men defeated Emperor Atahualpa’s army at the Battle of Cajamarca in 1532. Almagro soon joined Pizarro with more men and arms. After Peru fell, the two worked together founding cities. Pizarro sent Almagro to pursue the fleeing Inca general Quizquiz toward Quito. Their fellow conquistador Sebastián de Belalcázar had already reached Quito.
- born
- c. 1475, Almagro or Malagón, Ciudad Real, Spain
- died
- July 8, 1538
- field
- Conquistador
- nationality
- Spanish
- known_for
- Participation in the Spanish conquest of Peru, founding of Quito and Trujillo, first Spanish expedition to central Chile, conflict with Francisco Pizarro
Lore & Background
De Almagro's origins were humble. He was born in 1475 in the village of Almagro or in Malagón, in Ciudad Real, where he was given the name of the village for his surname as he was the illegitimate son of Juan de Montenegro and Elvira Gutiérrez. In order to preserve the honor of his mother, her relatives took the infant Diego to the nearby town of Bolaños de Calatrava, where he was raised by Sancha López del Peral, later moving to Aldea del Rey. At the age of four he returned to Almagro, and was placed under the tutelage of an uncle named Hernán Gutiérrez. At age fifteen he ran away from home because of his uncle's harshness. He went to the home of his mother, who was now living with her new husband, to tell her what had happened and that he was going to travel the world, and asked for some bread. His mother, anguished, gave him a piece of bread and some coins and said: 'Take, son, and do not give me more trouble, and go, and God help you in your adventure.' He went to Seville and after probably stealing to survive, Almagro became a criado or servant of Don Luis Gonzalez de Polanco, one of the four Alcaldes de la Casa y Corte de Su Majestad and later a Counselor of the Catholic Monarchs. While living in Seville, Almagro stabbed another servant in an argument, inflicting serious enough injuries that he was to be tried in court. Don Luis, using his influence, prevailed upon Don Pedro Arias Dávila to allow Almagro to embark in one of the ships going to the New World from the port of Sanlucar de Barrameda. The Casa de Contratacion required that the men who crossed the Atlantic provide their own weapons, clothes, and farming tools, which Don Polanco provided to his servant.
Reader's Guide
Diego de Almagro, now in his late thirties, arrived in the New World on June 30, 1514, with the expedition that Ferdinand II of Aragon had sent under the leadership of Dávila. The expedition arrived at the city of Santa María la Antigua del Darién, Panama, where many other future conquistadors were already assembled, among them Francisco Pizarro. There are not many details of Almagro's activities during this period, but it is known that he accompanied various sailors who departed from Darien between 1514 and 1515. He eventually returned and settled in Darien, where he was granted an encomienda, building a house and making a living from agriculture. Almagro undertook his first independent conquest on November 1515, commanding 260 men as he founded Villa del Acla, named after the Indian place. Due to illness he had to hand over command to Gaspar de Espinosa. Espinosa decided to undertake a new expedition, which departed in December 1515 with 200 men, including Almagro and Francisco Pizarro, who for the first time was designated as a captain. During this expedition, which lasted 14 months, Almagro, Pizarro and Hernando de Luque became close friends. Also during this time Almagro established a friendship with Vasco Núñez de Balboa, who was in charge of Acla. Almagro wanted to have a ship built with the remaining materials of the Espinosa expedition, to be finished on the coast of the 'Great South Sea', as the Pacific Ocean was first called by the Spanish. Current historians do not believe that Almagro was expected to participate in Balboa's expedition and probably returned to Darien. Almagro took part in the various expeditions that took place in the Gulf of Panama, including those of Espinosa, which were supported by Balboa's ships. Almagro was recorded as a witness on the lists of natives whom Espinosa ordered to be carried. He remained as an early settler in the newly founded city of Panama, staying there for four years, managing his properties and those of Pizarro. He took Ana Martínez, an indigenous woman, as a common-law wife. In this period, his first son, El Mozo, was born to them. By some accounts it was Almagro's former black African slave Malgarida who was the mother of Diego de Almagro II. By 1524 an association of conquest regarding South America was formalized among De Almagro, Pizarro and Luque. By the beginning of August 1524, they had received t
Did You Know?
- Almagro lost his eye to an arrow at the Battle of Punta Quemada.
- He was the illegitimate son of Juan de Montenegro and Elvira Gutiérrez.
- Almagro founded Santiago de Quito in August 1534, not the city of Quito itself.
- He named the city of Trujillo after Francisco Pizarro's birthplace in Spain.
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