Battle of Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo, Sacred Valley, Peru
What happened
Manco Inca's Inca army defended his base at Ollantaytambo against a Spanish force led by Hernando Pizarro with many Indigenous allies. During the siege of Cusco, the Spaniards marched on Manco Inca's headquarters. The Incas fought from high stone terraces and turned river water onto the plain to bog down the Spanish horses. The Spanish attack failed and they were forced back.
Why it matters
Why it matters: It was one of the few times the Incas beat a Spanish army in open battle. It showed that Spanish horsemen could be stopped on difficult ground.
What came next
Spanish reinforcements soon reached Cusco, and Manco left for Vitcos and then Vilcabamba. There he founded the Neo-Inca State.
Did you know?
Manco Inca is said to have ridden a horse captured from the Spaniards during the fight.
Timeline
- May 1536Manco Inca begins the siege of Cusco.
- January 1537Battle of Ollantaytambo.
- July 1537Spanish forces raid Vitcos; Manco escapes.
- 1572The Neo-Inca State ends.