Alonso de Ercilla
A conquistador turned epic poet, he captured the brutal clash between Spanish forces and the Mapuche people in his monumental work 'La Araucana'.
1533–1595 (age 62)·Spanish soldier and poet·Birthday: August 7
Biography
Alonso de Ercilla lived the epic he would later write. Born to Spanish nobility in 1533, he traveled to the New World as part of the viceroy's retinue and found himself thrust into the fierce Arauco War in present-day Chile. Fighting against the Mapuche (Araucanians), he was uniquely struck by their ferocious courage and sense of liberty. This direct experience became the raw material for 'La Araucana,' a sprawling 37-canto poem begun on scraps of parchment during the campaign. Published in three parts, the work is a landmark of the Spanish Golden Age, notable for its complex, even conflicted, perspective. While glorifying Spanish conquest, it also immortalized Mapuche heroes like Lautaro and Caupolicán with a respect that was extraordinary for its time, creating a foundational, if violent, narrative of Chilean identity.
#1 When Alonso Was Born
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Alonso's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1533Born
1538Started school
1546Became a teenager
1549Could drive
1551Could vote
1554Turned 21
1563Turned 30
1573Turned 40
1583Turned 50
1593Turned 60
1595Died at 62
Key Achievements
- Authored 'La Araucana,' one of the most significant epic poems of the Spanish Renaissance and Golden Age.
- His work provided one of the earliest and most detailed European accounts of the Mapuche people and the Arauco War.
- Was inducted into the Order of Santiago, a prestigious military and religious order, for his service in Chile.
- The poem's depiction of native resistance made it a later symbol for South American independence movements.
Did You Know?
He began writing 'La Araucana' on pieces of leather and paper scraps during lulls in the fighting in Chile.
Ercilla was nearly executed by his own commander for a duel-related offense, a sentence commuted at the last moment.
The poem includes Ercilla himself as a character, narrating the events he witnessed.
He is buried in the Convent of San José in Ocaña, Spain, under a tombstone that mentions his authorship of 'La Araucana.'
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