Pedro de Valdivia

Pedro de Valdivia was a Spanish conquistador and the first royal governor of Chile, responsible for founding Santiago and extending Spanish settlement southward.

After serving in Europe and Peru, Valdivia led an expedition into Chile in 1540. He founded Santiago in 1541 and later established settlements including Concepción. His campaigns relied on grants of land and Indigenous labour and provoked sustained Mapuche resistance. He was defeated, captured and killed after the battle of Tucapel in 1553.

In Inés of My Soul, Valdivia is commander, lover and political partner to Inés Suárez. The novel presents his ambition, military leadership and dependence on royal approval while examining the violence and personal cost of conquest.