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Cañete is a city in Chile in Arauco Province, Bío-Bío Region. It has approximately 16,000 inhabitants and it is located 154 km from Arauco and to the south of Concepción.
[edit] History
In 1552, Pedro de Valdivia founded the fort of Tucapel, at the site of present city of Cañete. In 1553, after destroying the fort, the native Mapuche defeated the Spanish army here in the Battle of Tucapel, and killed Pedro de Valdivia. The city of Cañete was later founded between December of 1557 and January of 1558 by the Governor García Hurtado de Mendoza, Marquis of Cañete with the name of Cañete de la Frontera three kilometers to the west of the present location of the city. Cañete was named after Mendoza's father, Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza, Viceroy of Peru, Marquess of Cañete. Disastrous military defeats forced governor Francisco de Villagra to order the city to be abandoned, in January of 1563. A new foundation of the city, ordered by Rodrigo de Quiroga in 1566 did not prosper either due to the constant attacks by the Mapuche. The present city was founded on the 12th of November of 1868 by colonel Cornelio Saavedra Rodriguez as part of the pacification of Araucanía.
[edit] References
Coordinates: 37°47′58″S, 73°23′43″W
