Alonso de Figueroa y Córdoba
Alonso de Figueroa (* 1584 in Spain, † 1652) was a Spanish officer, who served temporarily as governor of Chile.
Figueroa was probably born in 1584. In 1600 he entered the service of the Spanish Crown, in 1605 he came to Chile. His military career was resistant, but without any special feats. He had no assets, yet married, had three sons and several daughters. 1627 he was promoted to the Maestre de Campo, the military assistant to the governor.
When the governor Martín de Mujica y Buitrón died in April 1649, were also the two people who were chosen as successor, already dead, the Real Audiencia of Chile had to decide between two equal candidates; next Figueroa also Oidor Nicolás Polanco Santillana was in the election. At the end of the Audiencia ruled in favor of Figueroa.
His brief tenure was significantly shaped by the war against the Indians in the South.
The new Viceroy García Sarmiento de Sotomayor in Lima appeal, however, not confirmed, but sent his protégé Antonio de Acuña Cabrera to Chile, who arrived on 4 May 1650 in Concepción and took office.
Two years later, Figueroa died. His grandson is the Chilean historian Pedro de Córdoba y Figueroa.
Sources and links
- José Toribio Medina: Diccionario Biográfico Colonial de Chile ( Spanish). Imprenta Elziviriana, Santiago, Chile 1906, pp. 309-310 (accessed on 15 June 2010).
- Diego Barros Arana: Historia General de Chile ( Spanish), 4 Editorial Universitaria, Santiago de Chile, 2001, pp. 334-336 (accessed 10 July 2010).
- Guillermo Coz y Méndez: Historia de Concepción (Spanish) Retrieved on 23 July 2010.