Pedro de Valdivia

Adelantado Pedro De Valdivia
Posthumous portrait by Federico de Madrazo
1st Royal Governor of Chile
In office June 10, 1540 – December 1547
Monarch	Charles I of Spain
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Francisco de Villagra
3rd Royal Governor of Chile
In office July 20, 1549 – December 25, 1553
Monarch	Charles I of Spain
Prime Minister	Pedro de la Gasca
Preceded by	Francisco de Villagra
Succeeded by	Francisco de Villagra
2nd Adelantado of Terra Australis
In office August 2, 1540 – December 25, 1553
Monarch	Charles I of Spain
Preceded by	Pedro Sancho de la Hoz
Succeeded by	Jerónimo de Alderete
Personal details
Born	April 17, 1497 Villanueva de la Serena, Vegas Altas, Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain
Died	December 25, 1553 (aged 56) Tucapel, Cañete, Chile
Spouse	Marina Ortíz de Gaete
Military service
Allegiance	Spain
Years of service	1520–1553
Battles/wars	Italian Wars Battle of Pavia Sack of Rome Conquest of Peru Battle of Las Salinas Battle of Xaquixahuana Conquest of Chile Battle of Quilacura Battle of Andalien Battle of Penco Battle of Tucapel

Pedro Gutiérrez de Valdivia or Valdiva (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpeðɾo ðe βalˈdiβja]; April 17, 1497 – December 25, 1553^[1]) was a Spanish conquistador and the first royal governor of Chile. After serving with the Spanish army in Italy and Flanders, he was sent to South America in 1534, where he served as lieutenant under Francisco Pizarro in Peru, acting as his second in command.

In 1540, Valdivia led an expedition of 150 Spaniards into Chile, where he defeated a large force of indigenous warriors and founded Santiago in 1541. He extended Spanish rule south to the Biobío River in 1546, fought again in Peru (1546–1548), and returned to Chile as governor in 1549. He began to colonize Chile south of the Biobío and founded Concepción in 1550.^[2] He was captured and killed during a campaign against the Mapuche. The city of Valdivia in Chile is named after him.