Jerónimo de Alderete

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Jerónimo de Alderete y Mercado was born in Olmedo, Castille in 1516 and died in Panamá April 7, 1556. He was a Spanish conquistador who was later named governor Chile, but died before he could assume his post.

He came to Peru in 1535, under the orders of Diego de Rojas who intended to undertake the conquest of the Gran Chaco region. The expedition had several difficulties attempting to reach the Pilcomayo River. Alderete settled down in Tarija, until he became a member of Pedro de Valdivia's force conquer Chile in 1539.

He was part of Pedro de Valdivia's expedition to settle in the Mapocho valley of Chile in 1540. He was a regidor of the first city government of Santiago, Chile in 1541. In 1544 he joined the expedition of Juan Bautista Pastene that was explore the lands to the south to the Strait of Magellen in the bark San Pedro.

In 1550 during the campaign to establish Concepción he led the cavalry charge that broke the leading division of the Mapuche army at the Battle of Penco. In 1552 Valdivia ordered Jerónimo de Alderete to go inland and establish a fort at Lake Villarrica and established a fort at the site of the present Villarrica.

Following the death of Valdivia in 1553, the will of the governor of Chile named him his successor as governor but that was disallowed by the Viceroy of Peru. Returning to Spain he was able to get the King to appoint him to the post in October 17, 1554. However upon returning to Chile to assume the post he was taken ill with yellow fever in Panama and died in 1556.

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