Marihueñu
Encyclopedia
Marihueñu or Marigueno is a large hill in the Nahuelbuta Range
near the coast in the Lota
commune of the Bio-Bio Region
of southern Chile
. Its name is from the Mapudungun
mari, "ten" and huenu, "heights". This height was within the Moluche
aillarehue
of Marigueno that lay between the Pacific Ocean
and the lower reaches of the Bio Bio River north of the aillarehues of Arauco
and Catirai
. It was an important location during the Arauco War
because it overlooked the coastal route to Araucanía from Concepción
. The place is located on the coast to the south of Lota between Lota and Laraquete
. It is bounded to the north by the valley of Colcura and to the south by the valley of Chivilingo.
These heights were the site of the 1554 Battle of Marihueñu
, the victory of Lautaro
over Governor Francisco de Villagra
. For this reason it became known to the Spanish as the "Cuesta de Víllagra" (Hill of Víllagra) or "Cerro Villagrán" (Villagrán Hill). It was the site of several other similar battles before Alonso de Sotomayor
built a fort on the heights in 1589. Later the Moluche
captured the fort and in another battle in 1591 Governor Sotomayor captured the fort at its summit and killed the Toqui
Quintuguenu
.
Nahuelbuta Range
The Nahuelbuta Range or Cordillera de Nahuelbuta is a mountain range in Bio-Bio and Araucania Region, southern Chile. It is located along the Pacific coast and forms part of the larger Chilean Coast Range...
near the coast in the Lota
Lota, Chile
Lota is a city and commune located in the center of the Chile on the Gulf of Arauco. It lies within the Concepción Province of the Biobío Region.-History:...
commune of the Bio-Bio Region
Bío-Bío Region
The VIII Biobío Region , one of the fifteen first-order administrative divisions in Chile, comprises four provinces: Arauco, Biobio, Concepción, and Ñuble.The capital of the Region is Concepción...
of southern 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...
. Its name is from the Mapudungun
Mapudungun
The Mapuche language, Mapudungun is a language isolate spoken in south-central Chile and west central Argentina by the Mapuche people. It is also spelled Mapuzugun and sometimes called Mapudungu or Araucanian...
mari, "ten" and huenu, "heights". This height was within 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...
aillarehue
Aillarehue
Aillarehue or Ayllarehue Aillarehue or Ayllarehue Aillarehue or Ayllarehue (from the (mapudungun: ayllarewe/ayjarewe: " nine rehues"); a confederation of rehues or familiar clans (lof) that dominated a region or province. It was the old administrative and territorial division of the Mapuche,...
of Marigueno that lay between the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
and the lower reaches of the Bio Bio River north of the aillarehues of Arauco
Arauco, Chile
Arauco is a city and commune in Chile, located in Arauco Province in the Biobio Region. The meaning of Arauco means Chalky Water in Mapudungun. The region was a Moluche aillarehue...
and 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...
. It was an important location during 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...
because it overlooked the coastal route to Araucanía from 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...
. The place is located on the coast to the south of Lota between Lota and Laraquete
Laraquete
Laraquete is a Chilean town in Arauco, Arauco Province, Biobío Region. It is located at the mouth of the Laraquete River about 50 kilometers south of the Chilean city of Concepción....
. It is bounded to the north by the valley of Colcura and to the south by the valley of Chivilingo.
These heights were the site of the 1554 Battle of Marihueñu
Battle of Marihueñu
Battle of Marihueñu was one of the early decisive battles of the Arauco War between the Mapuche leader Lautaro and the Spanish general Francisco de Villagra on 23 February 1554.-History:...
, the victory 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:...
over Governor 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...
. For this reason it became known to the Spanish as the "Cuesta de Víllagra" (Hill of Víllagra) or "Cerro Villagrán" (Villagrán Hill). It was the site of several other similar battles before Alonso de Sotomayor
Alonso de Sotomayor
Alonso de Sotomayor y Valmediano was a Spanish conquistador from Extremadura, and a Royal Governor of Chile.-Early life:He was born in Trujillo, in the province of Extremadura, the son of Gutiérrez de Sotomayor e Hinojosa and Beatriz de Valmediano...
built a fort on the heights in 1589. Later 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...
captured the fort and in another battle in 1591 Governor Sotomayor captured the fort at its summit 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...
Quintuguenu
Quintuguenu
Quintuguenu the Mapuche Toqui in the Arauco War elected in 1591 following the death of the old toqui Guanoalca. He was killed in battle the same year. Paillaeco was elected as his successor in 1592.- Sources :* * List of Toquis, pg. 162-163, 498-500....
.