Don Garcí Manuel de Carbajal was a
SpanishSpain , 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...
lieutenant and occasional soldier who founded the city of
ArequipaArequipa is the capital city of the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. With a population of 836,859 it is the second most populous city of the country...
in
PeruPeru , 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....
on August 15, 1540, calling it "La Villa Hermosa de Arequipa." Carbajal was born in
PlacenciaPlacencia is a small town located in the Stann Creek District of Belize. It is the most southern town on the largest peninsula of the Gulf of Mexico.-History:...
, Extremadura, Spain and explored present-day Arequipa as an emissary of Spanish conquistador
Francisco PizarroFrancisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...
.
Soon after the capture and execution of
AtahualpaAtahualpa, Atahuallpa, Atabalipa, or Atawallpa , was the last Sapa Inca or sovereign emperor of the Tahuantinsuyu, or the Inca Empire, prior to the Spanish conquest of Peru...
and the conquest of the
Inca EmpireThe Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
was assured,
Francisco PizarroFrancisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...
set about sending numerous Spanish delegations across
PeruPeru , 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....
with the intention of founding new cities so as to consolidate his newly acquired dominions. Such was the case behind the exploration of what would become the city of Arequipa: the Spanish delegation led by Carbajal followed the advice of Pizarro and journeyed to Southern Peru. During the exploration, Carbajal and his followers reached the coast of
CamanáCamaná is a coastal town in the Arequipa Region in southern Peru. It is the capital of Camaná Province and Camaná District. With its sandy beaches, it is a very popular beach resort with local Peruvians visiting mostly from Arequipa during the summer months...
and settled there briefly. To their dismay, however, many started suffering from fever and other illnesses and soon decided they needed a healthier, more hospitable place for their habitation.
As a result, the conquistadors decided to move inland and soon reached the current site of Arequipa's Plaza de Armas cathedral, planting a cross in the empty territory as a sign and custom for the construction of a new cathedral. Other local historians suggest Carbajal decided to make this the main plaza as it afforded a great background view of a majestic
volcano2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
in the background. Carbajal also a began establishing the grid of streets as drawn up by the orders of Pizarro.
Many of the other early developments of the city were done under the direct guidance of Carbajal and in consultation with Pizarro and his followers. Some accounts say Pizarro himself was in Arequipa in 1539 with the intention of participating in the city's foundation, but had to leave immediately upon being called to attend peace negotiations with Manco Inca in
YucayYucay is a town in Southern Peru, capital of the district Yucay in the province Urubamba in the region Cusco.-External links:*...
(30 km away from
Machu PicchuMachu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
). Of the developments in Arequipa after these years little is known. Carbajal, meanwhile, decided to build himself permanent living quarters in what would later be called "La Mansión del Fundador," located on the bank of the Socabaya River in the small countryside town of Huasacache (20 km from the Plaza de Armas).
Throughout the centuries the house deteriorated but was again restored in the early 1980s and is now frequently visited by tourists despite having changed owners many times. When Carbajal died no one knew for certain where the remains of his body ended up, with local legends saying he had been interred in a supposed subterranean pathway under Arequipa's Plaza de Armas cathedral, like Francisco Pizarro's body in
LimaLima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
.
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