La Frontera (Chile)

La Frontera in Chile is the region around the Bío Bío River, or the whole area between it and the Toltén River. The use of this latter definition is largely coterminous with the historical usage of Araucanía.^{[citation needed]} The term was coined during the period when the region was the frontier of the Captaincy General of Chile, then a part of the Spanish Empire and later the Republic of Chile, with the Mapuche people inhabiting the Araucanía following their revolt in 1598. Subsequently, the Spanish Empire established a system of forts between the Bío Bío River and the Itata River, as well as some within the Araucanía. This system continued through the 18th century and into the 19th century.^{[citation needed]}

The first fortress rebuilt following the 1599 destruction of the forts in Catirai and its city Santa Cruz de Coya, the cities of Santa María la Blanca de Valdivia, San Andrés de Los Infantes and San Bartolomé de Chillán y Gamboa, was the reconstruction of the city of Chillán by the interim Governor Francisco de Quiñónez.

In 1601 Alonso de Ribera built Fort Talcahuano to defend remaining Spanish settlements near Concepción and Fort Lonquén on the Lonquén River to secure estancias that provided food to the army.

In 1602 Ribera rebuilt the small Fort Colcura and Fort Guanaraque and built a new fort, Santa Fe near the confluence of the Bio Bio and Vergara Rivers. On the coast Ribera sent captain Francisco Hernández Ortiz to establish a fort Valdivia on the site of the ruined city but it had to be abandoned by the starving remnant of its garrison after a terrible two-year siege.

In 1603 Ribera built Fort Chepe and Fort San Pedro to cover the crossing at the mouth of the Bio Bio River. He rebuilt San Felipe de Araucan and Santa Margarita de Austria on the coast between the aillarehues of Arauco and Tucapel and a fort at Tucapel and Paicavi on the Paicavi River. Also in the same year to the east along the Bio Bio River facing the aillarehues of Catirai and Purén, he rebuilt Santa Lucia de Yumbel and built the forts of Nuestra Señora de la Buena Esperanza, San Rosendo, Nuestra de Senora de Halle, Nacimiento de Nuestro Señor and San Francisco de Borja. The refugees from the abandoned city of Osorno under captain Francisco Hernández founded Fort Calbuco on a channel between the Reloncaví Sound and the Gulf of Ancud.

In 1606, Alonso García de Ramón built Fort San Ignacio de la Redención near Boroa but it was abandoned soon after the ambush of most of its garrison.

In 1607 García de Ramón rebuilt Fort Purén and San Jerónimo de Millapoa but as a result of a peace agreement with the Moluche of Catirai he soon dismantled the later.

In 1611 Luis Merlo de la Fuente built fort San Luis de Angol a little to the south of the old city of Angol.