Pedro de Candia

Pedro de Candia (1485 - 1542) was a Greek Conquistador [1][2][3] and explorer. Specialized in the use of firearms and artillery, he participated in the conquest of Peru.[4]:116,122,128 He was killed in the Battle of Chupas, (Peru), on 16 September 1542, by Diego de Almagro II.[5]:115

Early life

He was born on the island of Crete, which then was a Venetian colony known as the Kingdom of Candia, hence his nickname. He left the island through one of his mother's relatives at the service of the Crown of Aragon, who took him to Italy. During his period in Italy he was training to become a Condottieri and trained in the arms ; he fought against the Turks and in the Italian campaigns including the Battle of Pavia,[5]:114 before transferring to the Iberian peninsula to serve the Spanish Catholic Queen and King. Pedro was eventually married at Villalpando.

Conquest of Peru

He went to America with Governor Pedro de los Ríos in 1526.[5]:114

He accompanied Diego de Almagro and Francisco Pizarro during their first explorations along the coasts of Peru, and when the landing at Tacamez, north of Guayaquil, was effected, he already had command of the artillery. He was one of the thirteen men that remained in the islands of Gallo and Gorgona with Pizarro, and during the subsequent explorations of the Peruvian ports he undertook to go in person to the Indian towns and investigate their condition. He then visited Tumbez and then accompanied Pizarro to Spain to inform Charles V of their discoveries,[5]:136 the emperor made Candia commander-in-chief of artillery of the fleet sent out to conquer Peru.[4]:122,128–134

He was present at the defeat and imprisonment of Atahualpa, and received a large share of the ransom paid by that Inca. While residing at Cuzco, he made arms and ammunition for Pizarro, who was then fighting against Almagro.

After the defeat of Almagro at Battle of Las Salinas, Candia undertook the conquest of Ambaya beyond the Andes, but was unsuccessful, being finally arrested by order of Hernando Pizarro.[6] Disgusted at his treatment, and deserted by his old friends, he then joined the followers of Almagro and, with the aid of sixteen other Greeks, cast the guns that were taken by young Almagro to the battle of Chupas,[7] where Candia had decided to support the local natives and badly performed in the battle that Almagro suspected treason and ordered to be killed after attacking him with his own hands.

Sources

References

  1. ↑ James Lockhart , Spanish Peru, 1532-1560: a social history p.g. 142
  2. ↑ http://www.greenapple.gr/articlesdesc.php?id=129
  3. ↑ Primera parte de los Comentarios reales que tratan de el origen de los Incas, Madrid 1829 by Garcilaso de la Vega p. 366
  4. 1 2 Prescott, W.H., 2011, The History of the Conquest of Peru, Digireads.com Publishing, ISBN 9781420941142
  5. 1 2 3 4 Leon, P., 1998, The Discovery and Conquest of Peru, Chronicles of the New World Encounter, edited and translated by Cook and Cook, Durham: Duke University Press, ISBN 9780822321460
  6. ↑ Pizarro (Pedro) Relación del descubrimiento y conquista de los Reynos del peru. (1571) In Bibl. Aut. Esp. (tomo CLVIII, Madrid 1968)
  7. ↑ Inca Garcilaso de la Vega: Historia general del Perú. Tomo I. Lima, Editorial Universo S.A., 1972.

See also

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