 Ordered in 1579 to establish a city at the site by Governor Rodrigo de Quiroga, Martin Ruiz de Gamboa founded the city on June 25, 1580 after replacing Quiroga as governor following his death.He gave it the name "San Bartolomé de Chillán y Gamboa" and populated it with 50 Spaniards and 60 more in the fort.It suffered a number of attacks before it was destroyed by the Mapuche in 1599 after the Disaster of Curalaba.