Chivicura was a fort erected in 1593 by the Royal Governor of Chile

Royal Governor of Chile

The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district known as the Kingdom of Chile. This district was also called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General...

, Martín García Oñez de Loyola

Martín García Óñez de Loyola

Don Martín García Óñez de Loyola was a Spanish Basque soldier and Royal Governor of Chile.-Early life:...

 on the south bank of the Biobío River, to the west of the confluence of the Rele River

Rele River

Rele River is a river in the commune of Santa Juana. It has its origin to the south southeast of Santa Juana, from where it runs to the northeast from among the slopes of the heights of the Nahuelbuta Range and runs to the east to the Bio Bio River in which it empties a little above the confluence...

 with the Bio Bio, in what is now the commune of Santa Juana, Chile

Santa Juana, Chile

Santa Juana is a city and commune of the Concepción Province in the Biobío Region of Chile. It lies south and west of the Biobío River in the valley of Catirai and is 48 kilometers from Concepcion, Chile.- History :...

. It was in communication with the fort Jesus de Huenuraquí

Jesus de Huenuraquí

Jesus de Huenuraquí was a Spanish fort on heights to the north of the north bank of the Bio Bio River, next to the site of the modern rail station of Huenuraquí, in the commune of San Rosendo...

 across the river securing the communications of the city of Santa Cruz de Coya

Santa Cruz de Coya

Santa Cruz de Coya was a city established by the governor of Chile Martín García Oñez de Loyola on the site of the fort of Santa Cruz de Oñez, in 1595. It was named for his wife Beatriz Clara Coya, a member of the royal Incan house...

 in Catirai

Catirai

Catirai or Catiray is the region of the Moluche Aillarehue of Catiray in old Araucanía. It is now the Santa Juana commune of the Concepción Province and the Nacimiento commune of the Biobío Province of the Biobío Region, of Chile...

. Both forts and the city were destroyed by the Moluche

Moluche

Moluche or Nguluche is a dialect of the Mapuche language Mapudungun that is also the ethnic description of the Mapuche peoples speaking that language. At the beginning of the Conquest of Chile by the Spanish Empire the Moluche lived in what came to be known as Araucanía...

 in 1599. The name Chivicura means light stone, from chiv or shyv, light and from cura, stone.