Vicente Valverde was a Dominican friar, born in 1498 in Oropesa, in the Province of Toledo (Castile and Leon). After his studies in theology at Salamanca, he pronounced his vows in 1524.
He had arrived in Peru in 1530 with Francisco Pizarro. The capitulations of Toledo had, indeed, done at the last the obligation to have in his expedition six religious of this order. He was the only one of the six, to arrive at the heart of Peru. Three of them were kept in Panama, one died in Coaque on the path of Peru, and the fifth had returned to Panama on order of Pizarro.
Valverde is known for his role in the meeting of Cajamarca with the Inca Atahualpa: He was responsible for read to the Inca the famous Requerimiento, after which he presented him with a Bible. Atahualpa could not read the Bible, then, he threw it on the floor. This was the signal for the attack of the Spaniards, which was ended by the massacre of the Incas and the capture of their emperor.
To avoid to be burned at the stake, after his condemnation to death, Atahualpa consented to be baptized by Valverde.
After the taking of Cusco, he returned to Spain, where he was appointed Bishop of Cusco. He returned to Peru in 1538, with several members of his family, to which he did obtain important Encomiendas. During the civil war, he took party for the clan Pizarro, and after the assassination of Francisco Pizarro in Lima in 1541, he was suspected by the new governor Vaca de Castro. He fled from Peru on the November 10, 1541 with his relatives. On the occasion of a stopover in the island of Puna, the indian Cacique Tumbala made him prisoner, then he was tortured and put to death in atrocious conditions.
He was the first bishop of South America.
