Lope de Aguirre
Basque Spanish conquistador (1510–1561) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Lope de Aguirre (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈlope ðe aˈɣire]; 8 November 1510 – 27 October 1561) was a Basque Spanish[1] conquistador who was active in South America. Nicknamed El Loco ("the Madman"), he styled himself "Wrath of God, Prince of Freedom."[2] Aguirre is best known for his final expedition down the Amazon River in search of the mythical golden Kingdom El Dorado and Omagua.
Lope de Aguirre | |
---|---|
Born | (1510-11-08)8 November 1510 |
Died | 27 October 1561(1561-10-27) (aged 50) Barquisimeto, Venezuela |
Nationality | Spanish |
Other names | The Wrath of God, The Wanderer, El Tirano, Prince of Liberty, Madman of Onate |
Occupation(s) | conquistador, rebel |
Known for |
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In 1561, Aguirre led a mutiny against the expedition's commander, Pedro de Orsúa, and declared his intent to return to Peru and overthrow Spain's colonial government. He sent a letter that defied the Spanish monarch Philip II by renouncing his Spanish vassalage and declared war upon the Habsburg monarch. Aguirre's expedition ended with his death. In the years since then he has been treated by historians as a symbol of cruelty and treachery in the early history of colonial Spanish America,[3][4] and has become an antihero in literature, cinema and other arts.[5]