population has been estimated by some historians as 30-40 thousand inhabitants as of 1548[] based on descriptions made by the conquistadors. Pedro Mari�o de Lobera, an early conquistador and chronicler wrote that there were half a million Indians living within ten leagues (one league is roughly 4.2 km) from the city.[] Other historians consider these numbers too high and argue that early Spaniards usually exaggerated in their descriptions. Later Charles Darwin would state that "there is not much cleared land near Valdivia"[] which suggests that pre-Hispanic agriculture in Valdivia was far more extensive than the agriculture practiced in the early 19th century.
Spanish colony (1544�1810)
Idealized illustration ofPastene from Alonso de Ovalle's "Hist�rica relaci�n del Reyno de Chile".
The first European to visit Valdivia River's estuary was the Genoese captain Juan Bautista Pastene, who took possession of it in 1544 in the name of the Spanish king, Charles V. He named the river after the Governor of Chile Pedro de Valdivia.[]
Pedro de Valdivia later travelled by land to the river described by Pastene, and founded the city of Valdivia in 1552 as Santa Mar�a la Blanca de Valdivia.[] It was the southernmost Spanish settlement in the Americas at the time of the founding. Following the establishment of the church ofSanta Mar�a la Blanca in Valdivia, more buildings were constructed, so many that it was considered "the second city in the Kingdom of Chile" byMari�o de Lobera.[] Many of Chile's most influential conquistadors and future governors were granted land in Valdivia such as Jer�nimo de Alderete,Rodrigo de Quiroga, Francisco and Pedro de Villagra apart from the proper Pedro de Valdivia.
Jer�nimo de Bibar, a chronicler who witnessed the founding wrote:[]
"Having the governor seen such good comarca and site for populate a city and riverside of such good river, and having such good harbour he founded a city and named it ciudad de
