Francisco de la Ribera
Francisco de la Ribera | |
|---|---|
| Adelantado of the New León | |
| In office January 24, 1539 – January 29, 1540 | |
| Preceded by | Francisco de Camargo |
| Succeeded by | Last |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 16th century Spain |
| Died | January 29, 1540 Strait of Magellan |
Francisco de la Ribera[1] (Spain, early 16th century – Strait of Magellan, January 29, 1540)[2] was a Spanish sailor of the 16th century, who was part of the 1540 Plasencia bishop Armada to the Strait of Magellan, where he died.[3]
Biography
The friar Francisco de la Ribera was the captain of the flagship of a fleet of four ships organized and financed by Gutierre de Vargas Carvajal, Bishop of Plasencia, with the aim of reaching the Strait of Magellan.[2] Following the resignation of Francisco de Camargo from the Governorate of New León, de la Ribera was appointed adelantado of the territory.[4]
The expedition departed from Seville in August 1539 and reached the mouth of the strait in January 1540. However, once inside, a violent storm sank the flagship. From that moment on, the 150 men aboard, including its captain, were never heard from again. De la Ribera died on January 29 of that year.[2]
The tragedy gave rise to several legends. It was said that some of the castaways, including Ribera, were rescued by indigenous Patagones, who led them to fabulous mines. According to accounts from other survivors such as Melchor Ramírez, this was the supposed location of the mythical city of Trapalanda or the City of the Caesars. Thus, the disappearance of Francisco de la Ribera’s ship and the lack of news contributed to the growth of the myth of the southern El Dorado.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Francisco de la Ribera". Real Academia de la Historia (in Spanish). Retrieved July 7, 2025.
- ^ a b c Historia del Estrecho de Magallanes (in Spanish). Santiago: Editorial Andrés Bello. 1977. pp. 55–56. Retrieved July 7, 2025.
- ^ "Gutierre de Vargas Carvajal". Historia Hispánica – Real Academia de la Historia. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
- ^ "Capitulaciones con Fray Francisco de la Ribera". PARES (in Spanish). July 25, 1539. Retrieved July 7, 2025.