Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada y Rivera, also spelled as
Ximénez and
De Quezada, (; 1509 – 16 February 1579) was a Spanish explorer and
conquistador in northern South America, territories currently known as
Colombia. He explored the territory named by him
New Kingdom of Granada, and founded its capital,
Santafé de Bogotá. As a well-educated lawyer he was one of the intellectuals of the Spanish conquest. He was an effective organizer and leader, designed the first legislation for the government of the area, and was its historian. He was governor of
Cartagena between 1556 and 1557, and after 1569 he undertook explorations toward the east, searching for the elusive ''
El Dorado''. The campaign didn't succeed and Jiménez then returned to
New Granada in 1573. He has been suggested as a possible model for Cervantes' ''
Don Quixote''.
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