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Hernando Pizarro

1502 – 1578

Spanish conquistador

Explorer ConquistadorDiscoverer
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About Hernando Pizarro

Lived 1502 – 1578 (aged 75–76). Hernando Pizarro was a Spanish explorer, conquistador, discoverer, adventurer and soldier.

Hernando Pizarro y de Vargas (; c. 1504 – c. 1578) was a Spanish conquistador and one of the Pizarro brothers who ruled over Peru. He was the only one of the Pizarro brothers who was not killed in Peru, and eventually returned to Spain.

Pizarro Brothers As one of the Pizarro brothers he was related to Francisco, Juan and Gonzalo Pizarro. He had two full sisters, Inés Pizarro y de Vargas and Isabel Pizarro y de Vargas, married to Gonzalo de Tapia. Through his father he was a second cousin of Hernán Cortés.

Inca Empire Starting in 1532 and succeeding in 1533, Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca Empire and claimed what we know today as Peru for Spain. In the 16th century the Incas were conquered by the Spaniards, Hernando Pizarro, who was the brother of the chief commander of the conquest Francisco Pizarro, writes a letter to the royal audience of Santo Domino about the expedition. Hernando Pizarro wrote this letter on November 1533. Hernando Pizarro starts his letter by explaining how the government founded a town called San Miguel and then proceeded to search for the town of Cajamarca whose rulers have been fighting. In this letter, we get a better understanding of what type of person Hernando Pizarro was. In the letter, Hernando gives a description image of his surroundings while on the expedition "The road over the mountains is a thing worth seeing, because, though the ground is so rugged, such beautiful roads could not in truth be found throughout Christendom. The greater part of them is paved. There is a bridge of stone or wood over every stream. We found bridges of network over a very large and powerful river, which we crossed twice, which was a marvelous thing to see."

The New World Unlike his other brothers he was born in wedlock, and he was educated and gained influence in the Spanish court. In 1530 Hernando departed for the New World with his half-brother Francisco Pizarro and accompanied him during his conquests in Peru. In 1533 Hernando was sent back to Spain with the royal fifth for the Emperor, which consisted of "a number of the most beautiful articles" collected for Atahuallpa's ransom. 1534, proceeded to Calatayud and an audience with Charles. Hernando delivered the royal fifth and recounted the Pizarro brothers' adventures. Charles confirmed Francisco Pizarro's previous grants, extending them seventy leagues further south, and then gave Francisco's partner, Diego de Almagro, a grant two hundred leagues further south. Hernando was eventually released after negotiations between Almagro and Francisco, and in 1538 he and Gonzalo returned with an army to confront Almagro. In the ensuing Battle of Las Salinas, the Pizarros won a decisive victory, capturing Almagro and the city. He then lived in his Trujillo palace until his death in 1578.

His father was a son of Fernando Alonso Pizarro and his wife, Isabel de Vargas Rodríguez de Aguilar, paternal grandson of Fernando or Hernando Alonso de Hinojosa and his wife, Teresa Martínez Pizarro, and brother of Juan Pizarro, who died without issue in 1521, and Diego Fernández Pizarro, who married Marina López and had a son Fernando Pizarro López, who had a natural son named Diego Pizarro de Vargas, married to Juana Rodríguez de Bobadilla, with female issue in Portugal. boxstyle_1=background-color: #fcc; boxstyle_2=background-color: #fb9; boxstyle_3=background-color: #ffc; boxstyle_4=background-color: #bfc; boxstyle_5=background-color: #9fe; 1= 1. Hernando Pizarro de Vargas 2= 2. Gonzalo Pizarro y Rodríguez de Aguilar 3= 3. Isabel de Vargas 4= 4. Fernando Alonso Pizarro 5= 5. Isabel de Vargas y Rodríguez de Aguilar 6= 6. 7= 7. 8= 8. Fernando or Hernando Alonso de Hinojosa 9= 9. Teresa Martínez Pizarro 10= 10. 11= 11. 12= 12. 13= 13. 14= 14. 15= 15. 16= 16. 17= 17. 18= 18. 19= 19. 20= 20. 21= 21. 22= 22. 23= 23. 24= 24. 25= 25. 26= 26. 27= 27. 28= 28. 29= 29. 30= 30. 31= 31.

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Important facts

Born
1502, Trujillo
Birth century
Died
1578, Trujillo
Nationality
Awards
Master of the Order of Santiago; Order of Santiago
Also known as
Hernando Pizarro y de Vargas

People in Hernando Pizarro's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Hernando Pizarro's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Hernando Pizarro?

Spanish conquistador

When was Hernando Pizarro born?

Hernando Pizarro was born in 1502 in Trujillo.

When did Hernando Pizarro die?

Hernando Pizarro died in 1578 in Trujillo.

What was Hernando Pizarro's occupation?

Hernando Pizarro was an explorer, conquistador, discoverer, adventurer and soldier.

What nationality was Hernando Pizarro?

Hernando Pizarro was Spanish.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Hernando Pizarro

· Wikidata: Q719855

· DBpedia: Hernando Pizarro

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Hernando Pizarro. https://biography.guide/hernando-pizarro/

MLA: "Hernando Pizarro." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/hernando-pizarro/.

Chicago: "Hernando Pizarro." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/hernando-pizarro/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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