Gómez de Alvarado
Capitán Gómez de Alvarado | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Gómez de Alvarado y Contreras |
| Nickname | El Viejo |
| Born | 1482 |
| Died | September 1542 (aged 59–60) |
| Allegiance | Spanish Empire |
| Service years | 1510–1542 |
| Conflicts | Spanish colonization of the Americas |
Gómez de Alvarado y Contreras (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈɡomeθ ðe alβaˈɾaðoj konˈtɾeɾas]; 1482 – September 1542) was a Spanish conquistador and explorer. He was a member of the Alvarado family and the older brother of the famous conquistador Pedro de Alvarado.
Alvarado participated in the Spanish colonization of the Americas beginning in 1510. He held the rank of captain of the cavalry and served in the Spanish campaigns against the Aztec Empire, the Maya in Guatemala and El Salvador, and the Inca Empire. He founded the Peruvian city of Huánuco in 1539 and died of an illness shortly following the Battle of Chupas in 1542.