Alonso de Góngora Marmolejo

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Alonso de Góngora Marmolejo (1523-1575) Spanish conquistador and historian of the early conquest and settlement of the Kingdom of Chile, author of 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)).

Marmolejo was born in Carmona, Andalucía, in 1523. He was the son of the regiador of the town. In April of 1551 he came as a soldier to Santiago and shortly after was transferred to Conception to join the expedition that Pedro Valdivia had prepared to continue his southern conquests. He attended the foundation of Valdivia, where he lived and was regidor in 1555. In 1557 he was transferred by sea, from Valdivia, to serve with Don Garcia de Mendoza who was on Quiriquina Island and participated in the campaign there. He was part of the garrison of the fort of Tucapel and helped frustrate Caupolicán's attack on the fort that resulted in his being taken and executed. Don Garcia made him an encomendero of Cañete and there he was also regidor in 1558 and 1559. He was in Santiago, in June of 1561, when Francisco de Villagra took the provisonary control and it is probable that he accompanied Villagra in his campaign to the south. Prevailed by Villagra, he returned to Valdivia where he carried out the position of Royal official under the government of Pedro de Villagra. In 1571 he was corregidor of Villarrica. Rodrigo de Quiroga named him, in 1575, judge investigator of the indigenous wizards, but by the end of that year he had died.

Marmolejo was an eyewitness or wrote based on others reports that witnessed the events from that time. His history tried to maintain an even-handed vision and has been considered by historians of the period as one of the better sources. Its text is interesting as the work of a soldier who in spite of being a man of culture, used a direct and simple style. His history is believed to have been inspired by the publication of Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga's "La Araucana".