Battle of Curalaba
Curalaba, on the Lumaco River near Angol, Araucanía, Chile
What happened
Mapuche warriors led by Pelantaro fought a Spanish force under Governor Martín García Óñez de Loyola. For decades the Mapuche people of southern Chile had resisted Spanish conquest. At Curalaba, about 600 Mapuche warriors ambushed the governor's column of Spanish soldiers and native allies. Almost all of the Spanish force was destroyed, and the governor fell.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It set off a general Mapuche uprising that destroyed all Spanish towns south of the Biobío River. It is often seen as the end of the Spanish conquest of Chile, and the Mapuche kept their independence for nearly three centuries.
What came next
Seven Spanish cities were destroyed between 1599 and 1604. The Biobío River became a frontier between Spanish Chile and the independent Mapuche lands.
Did you know?
A Spanish soldier left for dead with 23 wounds survived and reached the town of La Imperial after 70 days.
Timeline
- 1553The Mapuche win at Tucapel.
- 23 December 1598The Mapuche win at Curalaba.
- 1599-1604Seven Spanish cities are destroyed.
- 1883Mapuche independence ends.