Alonso de Ribera
Encyclopedia
Alonso de Ribera de Pareja (1560 – March 9, 1617) was a Spanish soldier and twice Spanish royal governor of Chile
(1601–1605 and 1612–1617).
, he was the illegitimate son of hidalgo and captain Jorge de Ribera Zambrana y Dávalos, who claimed descent from the kings of Aragon
.
After studying mathematics, Ribera joined the Spanish army in Flanders
. It was the beginning of a long and successful military career. He fought in various battles in France with Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma
. In addition, he was part of the Spanish Armada
of 1588, and one of the followers of Cardinal Archduke Alberto
, governor of the Netherlands
.
His distinguished military service came to the attention of King Philip III
. In 1599 the king named him governor and captain general
of Chile, positions that he occupied from 1601 to 1605 and again from 1612 to 1617.
, in which the Spanish governor of Chile, Martín García Óñez de Loyola
was killed in a surprise attack by Mapuche
Indians in southern Chile, had led to the abandonment of the cities of Santa Cruz de Óñez, La Imperial, Valdivia, Osorno, Angol, Villarrica, and all the other Spanish positions south of the Biobío River
. Even Chillán
was temporarily depopulated, and the fort of Arauco
and Concepción
were besieged by Mapuches under Pelantaru.
The Spanish defense of the colony consisted mostly of a citizen militia, not considered adequate by the authorities. With the aim of improving the army, they wanted a governor with military experience. It was for this reason that Alonso de Ribera received the appointment, with the mandate of organizing a professional army.
He sailed from Seville
in April 1600, with 300 men. Upon his arrival in America, he met with ex-Governor Alonso de Sotomayor
, who briefed him on the situation in Chile and the Arauco War
. He continued on to Peru, finally arriving at Concepción in February 1601.
After his arrival, and after an evaluation of the state of the military, Ribera wrote: "...these people were more poorly disciplined and more uninformed in military things than I ever could have believed." In 1604 he created a permanent army of 1,500 men, paid from royal revenues in Peru, the Real Situado
. His strategic plan was to concentrate the Spanish forces in a series of forts along the frontier
and consolidate Spanish power, which could then be advanced to the south. In his first period of government, he was able to advance into Mapuche territory and construct nineteen forts.
He also organized the colonial property in and around Santiago
. In August 1603 he designated Ginés de Lillo
to conduct a general inspection of all the land, delineating the private properties granted by the governors and the cabildo (city government), to cut down on constant litigation.
The governor was also concerned about the situation of the Indians subjected to the encomienda
system, and took steps to limit their abuse by the Spanish. For example, he prohibited the custom of Spanish women riding to mass or on visits in litters carried by Indians. He established new regulations for the mines, which allowed forced Indigenous labor for eight months, but followed by a period of two years, four months before the same worker could be forced to return.
woman without the prior permission of the king, cost him a loss of prestige and ultimately forced him from office in 1605.
He was subjected to a juicio de residencia
, or trial of grievances. The accusations against him were that he dealt rudely with soldiers, opened other people's correspondence, granted special favors to the relatives of his wife, played games of chance, persecuted two clergymen, and was not religious.
After leaving the government, he was transferred to Córdoba
with his family. He remained there until 1612, when he again became governor of Chile.
had specifically requested his appointment from King Philip III
. Valdivia was the originator of a new system of defensive warfare in Chile. He planned a static frontier separating the Spanish zone from the Indigenous zone, permitting no one but missionaries to enter the south from the Spanish side. The king was in agreement, and although Ribera himself did not totally agree, he followed the royal orders and established the defensive system.
However, after the death of missionaries sent into the Indigenous zone by Father Valdivia, Ribera became convinced that the system was a failure. The previously warm relationship between the priest and the governor cooled.
Among Ribera's tasks in his second term was the defense of the Chilean coast from attacks by Dutch corsairs, beginning in 1613. One such expedition was a fleet of six ships sent by the Dutch East India Company
to the Moluccas, via the Strait of Magellan
. This fleet was under the command of Admiral Joris van Spilbergen
. As soon as the governor was informed of the approach of Spilbergen, he ordered the fortification of Valparaíso and Concepción. Spilbergen did not attack the Chilean coast, but sailed past it to the north.
During Ribera's administration, on January 29, 1616, an expedition under the command of Jacob Le Maire
, and with Wilhelm Cornelisz Schouten
as pilot, discovered Cape Horn
.
Governor Alonso de Ribera died in Concepción on March 9, 1617.
Royal Governor of Chile
The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district known as the Kingdom of Chile. This district was also called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General...
(1601–1605 and 1612–1617).
Early life
Born in ÚbedaÚbeda
Úbeda is a town in the province of Jaén in Spain's autonomous community of Andalusia, with some 35,600 inhabitants. Both this city and the neighboring city of Baeza benefited from extensive patronage in the early 16th century resulting in the construction of a series of Renaissance style palaces...
, he was the illegitimate son of hidalgo and captain Jorge de Ribera Zambrana y Dávalos, who claimed descent from the kings of Aragon
Aragon
Aragon is a modern autonomous community in Spain, coextensive with the medieval Kingdom of Aragon. Located in northeastern Spain, the Aragonese autonomous community comprises three provinces : Huesca, Zaragoza, and Teruel. Its capital is Zaragoza...
.
After studying mathematics, Ribera joined the Spanish army in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
. It was the beginning of a long and successful military career. He fought in various battles in France with Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma
Alexander Farnese, Duke of Parma
Alexander Farnese was Duke of Parma and Piacenza from 1586 to 1592, and Governor of the Spanish Netherlands from 1578 to 1592.-Biography:...
. In addition, he was part of the Spanish Armada
Spanish Armada
This article refers to the Battle of Gravelines, for the modern navy of Spain, see Spanish NavyThe Spanish Armada was the Spanish fleet that sailed against England under the command of the Duke of Medina Sidonia in 1588, with the intention of overthrowing Elizabeth I of England to stop English...
of 1588, and one of the followers of Cardinal Archduke Alberto
Albert VII, Archduke of Austria
Archduke Albert VII of Austria was, jointly with his wife, the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, sovereign of the Habsburg Netherlands between 1598 and 1621, ruling the Habsburg territories in the southern Low Countries and the north of modern France...
, governor of the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
His distinguished military service came to the attention of King Philip III
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
. In 1599 the king named him governor and captain general
Captain General
Captain general is a high military rank and a gubernatorial title.-History:This term Captain General started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of commander in chief of an army in the field, probably the first usage of the term General in military settings...
of Chile, positions that he occupied from 1601 to 1605 and again from 1612 to 1617.
First royal government of Chile
The 1598 Disaster of CuralabaDisaster of Curalaba
The Disaster of Curalaba is the name given to a battle between Spanish conquerors led by Martín García Óñez de Loyola and Mapuche people led by Pelantaru on a place called Curalaba , in southern Chile...
, in which the Spanish governor of Chile, Martín García Óñez de Loyola
Martín García Óñez de Loyola
Don Martín García Óñez de Loyola was a Spanish Basque soldier and Royal Governor of Chile.-Early life:...
was killed in a surprise attack by Mapuche
Mapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
Indians in southern Chile, had led to the abandonment of the cities of Santa Cruz de Óñez, La Imperial, Valdivia, Osorno, Angol, Villarrica, and all the other Spanish positions south of the Biobío River
Bío-Bío River
The Biobío River is the second largest river in Chile. It originates from Icalma and Galletué lakes in the Andes and flows 380 km to the Gulf of Arauco on the Pacific Ocean....
. Even Chillán
Chillán
Chillán is a city in the Biobío Region of Chile located about south of the country's capital, Santiago, near the geographical center of the country. It is the capital of Ñuble Province and, with a population of approximately 170,000 people , the most populated urban center of this province...
was temporarily depopulated, and the fort 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 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...
were besieged by Mapuches under Pelantaru.
The Spanish defense of the colony consisted mostly of a citizen militia, not considered adequate by the authorities. With the aim of improving the army, they wanted a governor with military experience. It was for this reason that Alonso de Ribera received the appointment, with the mandate of organizing a professional army.
Seville
Seville is the artistic, historic, cultural, and financial capital of southern Spain. It is the capital of the autonomous community of Andalusia and of the province of Seville. It is situated on the plain of the River Guadalquivir, with an average elevation of above sea level...
in April 1600, with 300 men. Upon his arrival in America, he met with ex-Governor 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...
, who briefed him on the situation in Chile and 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...
. He continued on to Peru, finally arriving at Concepción in February 1601.
After his arrival, and after an evaluation of the state of the military, Ribera wrote: "...these people were more poorly disciplined and more uninformed in military things than I ever could have believed." In 1604 he created a permanent army of 1,500 men, paid from royal revenues in Peru, the Real Situado
Real Situado
The Real Situado was an annual payment of silver from the Viceroyalty of Peru to finance the Spanish army of Chile that as result of the Arauco War. Most of the silver came from Potosí in present day Bolivia....
. His strategic plan was to concentrate the Spanish forces in a series of forts along the frontier
La Frontera (geographical region)
La Frontera is name given to a geographical region in Chile, between the Bío-Bío and Toltén Rivers, now part of the administrative regions of Bío-Bío and Araucanía...
and consolidate Spanish power, which could then be advanced to the south. In his first period of government, he was able to advance into Mapuche territory and construct nineteen forts.
He also organized the colonial property in and around Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
. In August 1603 he designated Ginés de Lillo
Ginés de Lillo
Ginés de Lillo, a high ranking officer in the Spanish army, was in 1603 nominated official visitor to the lands between the towns of Los Cauquenes and Choapa, part of modern day Chile.-Visitor to Chile:...
to conduct a general inspection of all the land, delineating the private properties granted by the governors and the cabildo (city government), to cut down on constant litigation.
The governor was also concerned about the situation of the Indians subjected to the encomienda
Encomienda
The encomienda was a system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor....
system, and took steps to limit their abuse by the Spanish. For example, he prohibited the custom of Spanish women riding to mass or on visits in litters carried by Indians. He established new regulations for the mines, which allowed forced Indigenous labor for eight months, but followed by a period of two years, four months before the same worker could be forced to return.
Trial of grievances and removal from office
Ribera, accustomed to the rich court life of Flanders, scandalized the more austere colonial society by introducing such things as grand banquets and parties, card-playing, sumptuous suits, and at table, the heretofore unknown fork. These novelties, together with the fact that Ribera had married a CrillaCriollo (people)
The Criollo class ranked below that of the Iberian Peninsulares, the high-born permanent residence colonists born in Spain. But Criollos were higher status/rank than all other castes—people of mixed descent, Amerindians, and enslaved Africans...
woman without the prior permission of the king, cost him a loss of prestige and ultimately forced him from office in 1605.
He was subjected to a juicio de residencia
Juicio de residencia
A juicio de residencia was a judicial procedure of Castilian law and the Laws of the Indies. It consisted of this: at the termination of a public functionary's term, his performance in office was subject to review, and those with grievances against him were entitled to a hearing...
, or trial of grievances. The accusations against him were that he dealt rudely with soldiers, opened other people's correspondence, granted special favors to the relatives of his wife, played games of chance, persecuted two clergymen, and was not religious.
After leaving the government, he was transferred to Córdoba
Córdoba Province (Argentina)
Córdoba is a province of Argentina, located in the center of the country. Neighboring provinces are : Santiago del Estero, Santa Fe, Buenos Aires, La Pampa, San Luis, La Rioja and Catamarca...
with his family. He remained there until 1612, when he again became governor of Chile.
Second government of Chile and death
He returned as governor in 1612. Father Luis de ValdiviaLuis de Valdivia
Luis de Valdivia was a Spanish Jesuit missionary who defended the rights of the natives of Chile and pleaded for the reduction of the hostilities with the Mapuches in the Arauco War....
had specifically requested his appointment from King Philip III
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
. Valdivia was the originator of a new system of defensive warfare in Chile. He planned a static frontier separating the Spanish zone from the Indigenous zone, permitting no one but missionaries to enter the south from the Spanish side. The king was in agreement, and although Ribera himself did not totally agree, he followed the royal orders and established the defensive system.
However, after the death of missionaries sent into the Indigenous zone by Father Valdivia, Ribera became convinced that the system was a failure. The previously warm relationship between the priest and the governor cooled.
Among Ribera's tasks in his second term was the defense of the Chilean coast from attacks by Dutch corsairs, beginning in 1613. One such expedition was a fleet of six ships sent by the Dutch East India Company
Dutch East India Company
The Dutch East India Company was a chartered company established in 1602, when the States-General of the Netherlands granted it a 21-year monopoly to carry out colonial activities in Asia...
to the Moluccas, via the Strait of Magellan
Strait of Magellan
The Strait of Magellan comprises a navigable sea route immediately south of mainland South America and north of Tierra del Fuego...
. This fleet was under the command of Admiral Joris van Spilbergen
Joris van Spilbergen
Joris van Spilbergen was a Dutch naval officer of the 17th century.His first major expedition was in 1596, when he sailed to Africa....
. As soon as the governor was informed of the approach of Spilbergen, he ordered the fortification of Valparaíso and Concepción. Spilbergen did not attack the Chilean coast, but sailed past it to the north.
During Ribera's administration, on January 29, 1616, an expedition under the command of Jacob Le Maire
Jacob Le Maire
Jacob Le Maire was a Dutch mariner who circumnavigated the earth in 1615-16. The strait between Tierra del Fuego and Isla de los Estados was named the Le Maire Strait in his honor, though not without controversy...
, and with Wilhelm Cornelisz Schouten
Willem Schouten
Willem Cornelisz Schouten was a Dutch navigator for the Dutch East India Company. He was the first to sail the Cape Horn route to the Pacific Ocean.- Biography :Willem Cornelisz Schouten was born in c...
as pilot, discovered Cape Horn
Cape Horn
Cape Horn is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island...
.
Governor Alonso de Ribera died in Concepción on March 9, 1617.