In the center of Chile, Valdivia founded Santiago on the Mapocho river in 1541, and 3 years later Juan Bohón established La Serena in the Coquimbo valley. These foundations were followed by the settlements of Concepción, Villarrica, Imperial, Valdivia and Angol. Valparaíso, although used as a port by the Spanish from the beginning, did not have a sizeable population until much later. Santiago was largely destroyed, shortly after its founding, by the Aconcagua natives during the absence of Valdivia. The Spanish, however, were not annihilated, and Inés de Suárez largely carried out the defense and caused the attackers to retreat. Ultimately, due to pressure from his political superiors, Valdivia he was forced to end his relations with Agnes.
When Gonzalo Pizarro’s rebellion began in Peru, the insurgents tried unsuccessfully to co-opt Valdivia for your side. At the beginning of 1548 he joined the royal army of Pedro de la Gasca, in Peru, and his military experience counted largely in the victory of Xaguixaguana on April 9 of that year. Valdivia He returned to Chile with his position and prestige considerably strengthened.
Previously, learning of the assassination of Francisco Pizarro in 1541, Valdivia he had stripped Chile of control of Peru and, recognizing only royal authority, came an arrangement that the Crown found acceptable. Secure now in his own domain, he pushed exploration south and helped the country’s development by dividing the land among his more capable followers and dividing the Indians into encomiendas. Chile had minerals, but Valdivia definitely subordinated mining to agriculture and livestock.
Valdivia had a confrontation with the warlike Araucanians beyond the Bio-Bio river in 1550 in which he defeated them but in no way broke his will to resist the invaders, a will that became stronger when the conqueror established the Concepción settlement in his territory. He moved against them in 1553 and built a fort at Tucapel.
Valdivia he had previously captured and presumably befriended Lautaro, a young Araucanian who became his page. Lautaro secretly stayed true to his own people and met with him to reveal to Chief Caupolicán a way to capture Valdivia. The Spanish leader was captured on Christmas Day 1553. Although there are different accounts of his execution, the most probable is that a chief, Pilmaiquén, hit him on the head with a club.