Juan de Ayolas
Encyclopedia
Juan de Ayolas was a conquistador
who explored the watershed of the Rio de la Plata
for the Spanish crown. He accompanied Pedro de Mendoza
on his 1534 expedition to colonize the region between the Rio de la Plata and the Straits of Magellan and briefly succeeded him as the second governor of the region after Mendoza returned home in 1537.
Seeking supplies, he sailed up the Paraná River
and founded a fort called "Corpus Christi
", as Sebastian Cabot
had before him. Leaving Domingo Martínez de Irala
at Puerto la Candelaria
(modern Fuerte Olimpo,) he sailed up the Paraguay River
seeking a connection to Peru
. He fought with the Guaraní, crossed the Chaco
to the Andes
, and seized some booty there, but as he returned was killed with every man of his company by the Payagua.
The city of Ayolas
in Paraguay, and its airport
(IATA: AYO, ICAO: SGAY,) are named for him.
MAURA, Juan Francisco. Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca: el gran burlador de América. Parnaseo/Lemir. Valencia:Universidad de Valencia, 2008.http://parnaseo.uv.es/lemir/Textos/Maura.pdf
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
who explored the watershed of the Rio de la Plata
Río de la Plata
The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...
for the Spanish crown. He accompanied Pedro de Mendoza
Pedro de Mendoza
Pedro de Mendoza y Luján was a Spanish conquistador, soldier and explorer, and the first adelantado of the Río de la Plata.- Setting sail :...
on his 1534 expedition to colonize the region between the Rio de la Plata and the Straits of Magellan and briefly succeeded him as the second governor of the region after Mendoza returned home in 1537.
Seeking supplies, he sailed up the Paraná River
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
and founded a fort called "Corpus Christi
Blessed Sacrament
The Blessed Sacrament, or the Body and Blood of Christ, is a devotional name used in the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholic, Anglican, and Lutheran churches, to refer to the Host after it has been consecrated in the sacrament of the Eucharist...
", as Sebastian Cabot
Sebastian Cabot (explorer)
Sebastian Cabot was an explorer, born in the Venetian Republic.-Origins:...
had before him. Leaving Domingo Martínez de Irala
Domingo Martínez de Irala
Domingo Martínez de Irala was a Spanish Basque conquistador.He headed for the Americas in 1535 enrolled in the expedition of Pedro de Mendoza and participated in the founding of Buenos Aires...
at Puerto la Candelaria
Fuerte Olimpo
Fuerte Olimpo is a city in Paraguay. It is the capital of the department of Alto Paraguay.Capital of Alto Paraguay Region, far from Asunción 838 km, located on Paraguay River, originally called Fuerte Bordón...
(modern Fuerte Olimpo,) he sailed up the Paraguay River
Paraguay River
The Paraguay River is a major river in south central South America, running through Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina...
seeking a connection to Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. He fought with the Guaraní, crossed the Chaco
Gran Chaco
The Gran Chaco is a sparsely populated, hot and semi-arid lowland region of the Río de la Plata basin, divided among eastern Bolivia, Paraguay, northern Argentina and a portion of the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, where it is connected with the Pantanal region...
to the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
, and seized some booty there, but as he returned was killed with every man of his company by the Payagua.
The city of Ayolas
Ayolas
Ayolas is a city in the department of Misiones, Paraguay. It is also the name of the district that the city is located in.- Toponymy :The city takes its name on behalf of Juan de Ayolas, second of Pedro de Mendoza, who founded Puerto la Candelaria, now Fuerte Olimpo, on the Paraguay River...
in Paraguay, and its airport
Juan de Ayolas Airport
Juan de Ayolas Airport is a small airport that serves the city of Ayolas, in the Misiones Department of Paraguay.The airport is named after Juan de Ayolas. It is operated by both Argentine and Paraguayan authorities.-External links:*...
(IATA: AYO, ICAO: SGAY,) are named for him.
Sources
MAURA, Juan Francisco. Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca: el gran burlador de América. Parnaseo/Lemir. Valencia:Universidad de Valencia, 2008.http://parnaseo.uv.es/lemir/Textos/Maura.pdf