Lorenzo Bernal del Mercado
Encyclopedia
Lorenzo Bernal del Mercado (1530–1593) was a Spanish
captain who was one of the more successful soldiers in the Arauco War
in Chile
rising to the rank of Maestre de Campo and temporary Capitán General of the Captaincy General of Chile.
Lorenzo Bernal del Mercado was born in Cantalapiedra
, Salamanca
in 1530. He was the son of Francisco Martinez Nieto and Ana Bernal del Mercado. He traveled to the Americas in 1541 with the expedition of Blasco Nuñez de Vela
, recently named Viceroy of Peru. From Peru
, he went to Bolivia
where he had some success. In 1549, he joined with Pedro de Valdivia
coming to Chile
from the valley of Potosí
, Valdivia gave him an encomienda
in the area of the present Valdivia
, naming him temporary captain of the new city. The death of Valdivia at the hands of Lautaro
made so deep an impression on him that he left his encomienda and served under Francisco de Villagra
in the war. Bernal del Mercado showed intelligence, bravery and an energetic character. He also had a deep and lasting hatred towards the Mapuche
.
The defense of the fort of Los Infantes
was in his charge and he served under governor Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza and Pedro de Villagra
and the government of the Real Audiencia. In 1564, he defeated and killed the toqui
Illangulién
in the Battle of Angol
. He gained a good reputation from his successes in the War of Arauco, and for that reason was appointed Maestro de Campo and in addition corregidor
of Concepción
in 1565 and of Santiago
in 1583. In 1570, he was named to carry out the war as temporary Capitán General after the governor Melchor Bravo de Saravia
resigned the post and appointed him in his place. The experience and prestige that he accumulated was immense and had all the merit to be named as Royal Governor of Chile
, but his hard and undiplomatic character worked against him. He remained as Maestro de Campo until 1583, and was soon after named Captain of the line of defense. Sometimes he acted as an advisor to the king providing to him with detailed information on the state of the war. He died in Angol in 1593, without becoming Governor.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
captain who was one of the more successful soldiers in the Arauco War
Arauco War
The Arauco War was a conflict between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people in what is now the Araucanía and Biobío regions of modern Chile...
in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
rising to the rank of Maestre de Campo and temporary Capitán General of the Captaincy General of Chile.
Lorenzo Bernal del Mercado was born in Cantalapiedra
Cantalapiedra
Cantalapiedra is a village and municipality in the province of Salamanca, western Spain, part of the autonomous community of Castile-León. It is located 69 kilometres from the city of Salamanca and has a population of 1250 people. The municipality covers an area of 24.85 km².It is 50 km...
, Salamanca
Salamanca
Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile and León. Because it is known for its beautiful buildings and urban environment, the Old City was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988. It is the most important university city in Spain and is known for its contributions to...
in 1530. He was the son of Francisco Martinez Nieto and Ana Bernal del Mercado. He traveled to the Americas in 1541 with the expedition of Blasco Nuñez de Vela
Blasco Núñez Vela
Blasco Núñez Vela y Villalba was the first Spanish viceroy of Peru, from May 15, 1544 to January 18, 1546. He was charged by King Charles I with the enforcement of the controversial New Laws, which dealt with the failure of the encomienda system to protect the indigenous people of America from the...
, recently named Viceroy of Peru. From Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, he went to Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
where he had some success. In 1549, he joined with Pedro de Valdivia
Pedro de Valdivia
Pedro Gutiérrez de Valdivia or Valdiva 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...
coming to Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
from the valley of Potosí
Potosí
Potosí is a city and the capital of the department of Potosí in Bolivia. It is one of the highest cities in the world by elevation at a nominal . and it was the location of the Spanish colonial mint, now the National Mint of Bolivia...
, Valdivia gave him an encomienda
Encomienda
The encomienda was a system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor....
in the area of the present Valdivia
Valdivia, Chile
Valdivia is a city and commune in southern Chile administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia and Cau-Cau Rivers, approximately east of the coastal towns of Corral and Niebla...
, naming him temporary captain of the new city. The death of Valdivia at the hands of Lautaro
Lautaro
Lautaro was a Mapuche military leader and protagonist of the War of Arauco in Chile. He defeated and exterminated the Spanish forces of Governor Pedro de Valdivia and was almost able to expel them from the area when he was killed in battle.-Early life:...
made so deep an impression on him that he left his encomienda and served under Francisco de Villagra
Francisco de Villagra
Francisco de Villagra Velázquez was a Spanish conquistador, and three times governor of Chile.-Early life:Born at [Santervás de Campos], he was the son of Alvaro de Sarría and Ana Velázquez de Villagra, who were not married. For this reason he took the name of his mother...
in the war. Bernal del Mercado showed intelligence, bravery and an energetic character. He also had a deep and lasting hatred towards the Mapuche
Mapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
.
The defense of the fort of Los Infantes
Angol
Angol is a commune and capital city of the Malleco Province in the Araucanía Region of southern Chile. It is located at the foot of the Nahuelbuta Range and next to the Vergara River, that permitted communications by small boats to the Bío-Bío River and Concepción. This strategic position explains...
was in his charge and he served under governor Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza and Pedro de Villagra
Pedro de Villagra
Pedro de Villagra y Martínez was a Spanish soldier who participated in the conquest of Chile, being appointed its Royal Governor between 1563 and 1565....
and the government of the Real Audiencia. In 1564, he defeated and killed the toqui
Toqui
Toqui is a title conferred by the Mapuche to those who are chosen as their leaders during times of war. The toqui is chosen in an assembly or parliament of the chieftains of the various clans or confederation of clans , allied during the war in question...
Illangulién
Illangulién
Illangulién, Quiromanite, , Queupulien or Antiguenu, was the Mapuche toqui elected to replace Lemucaguin or Caupolicán the younger in 1559 following the Battle of Quiapo to his death in battle in the Battle of Angol in 1564....
in the Battle of Angol
Battle of Angol
Battle of Angol was a battle fought between the Mapuche and the Spanish conquerors in March 1564.-History:In Los Infantes captain Lorenzo Bernal del Mercado had discovered that the rebels had constructed a pucará close by, establishing a blockade of the city...
. He gained a good reputation from his successes in the War of Arauco, and for that reason was appointed Maestro de Campo and in addition corregidor
Corregidor (position)
A corregidor was a local, administrative and judicial position in Spain and its empire. He was the highest authority of a Corregimiento. In the Americas a corregidor was often called an alcalde mayor. They began to be appointed in fourteenth century Castile and the institution was definitively...
of Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
in 1565 and of Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
in 1583. In 1570, he was named to carry out the war as temporary Capitán General after the governor Melchor Bravo de Saravia
Melchor Bravo de Saravia
Melchor Bravo de Saravia y Sotomayor was a Spanish conquistador, interim viceroy of Peru, and Royal Governor of Chile.-Early career:...
resigned the post and appointed him in his place. The experience and prestige that he accumulated was immense and had all the merit to be named as 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...
, but his hard and undiplomatic character worked against him. He remained as Maestro de Campo until 1583, and was soon after named Captain of the line of defense. Sometimes he acted as an advisor to the king providing to him with detailed information on the state of the war. He died in Angol in 1593, without becoming Governor.
Sources
- Alonso de Góngora MarmolejoAlonso de Góngora MarmolejoAlonso de Góngora Marmolejo was a Spanish conquistador and chronicler of the early conquest and settlement of the Kingdom of Chile, and the start of the Arauco War.-Biography:...
, Historia de Todas las Cosas que han Acaecido en el Reino de Chile y de los que lo han gobernado (1536-1575) (History of All the Things that Have happened in the Kingdom of Chile and of they that have governed it (1536-1575)), Edición digital a partir de Crónicas del Reino de Chile, Madrid, Atlas, 1960, pp.75-224, (on line in Spanish) - Pedro Mariño de LoberaPedro Mariño de LoberaPedro Mariño de Lobera was a Spanish conquistador and chronicler of the Arauco War in the Kingdom of Chile.-Biography:A professional soldier who served in the war between Spain and France, he went to the Americas in 1545. Mariño joined the forces of Pedro de La Gasca in Havana, Cuba, when he...
, Crónica del Reino de Chile , escrita por el capitán Pedro Mariño de Lobera....reducido a nuevo método y estilo por el Padre Bartolomé de Escobar. Edición digital a partir de Crónicas del Reino de Chile Madrid, Atlas, 1960, pp. 227-562, (Biblioteca de Autores Españoles ; 569-575). Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (on line in Spanish) - Icarito > Enciclopedia Virtual > Biografías, Lorenzo Bernal del Mercado