Atlas of Battles

battle, early modern

Battle of Tucapel

Battle of Tucapel was a battle fought on 25 December 1553 in what is now Chile. It was part of the Arauco War. The recorded result: Mapuche victory.

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Fought25 December 1553
WhereChile37.796S, 73.401W
OutcomeMapuche victory
Belligerentsborder|22px Spanish Empireagainstborder|22px Mapuches
Casualties and lossesAll 55 Spaniards killed, most of the yanakuna killedandUnknown but not small
Part ofArauco War

Where it sits in the Arauco War

Battle of Reynogüelén, 1536Battle of Tucapel, 1553Battle of Marihueñu, 1554Battle of Peteroa, 1556Battle of Mataquito, 1557Battle of Lagunillas, 1557Battle of Quiapo, 1558Battle of Itata, 1564Siege of Concepcion, 1564Battle of Vegas de Andalién, 1564Battle of Angol, 1564Battle of Talcamávida, 1566Battle of Catirai, 1569Boroa Disaster, 1606Battle of Los Robles, 1630Battle of Río Bueno, 165415361654Battle of Tucapel, 1553
16 placed engagements of the Arauco War in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date25 December 1553
PlaceChile
37.796S, 73.401W
KindBattle, early modern
Strength55 Spanish soldiers; 2,000–5,000 yanakunaMore than 50,000 warriors according to Spanish sources, considered exaggerated; modern estimations give 10,000
Casualties and lossesAll 55 Spaniards killed, most of the yanakuna killedUnknown but not small
Commanders
  • Pedro de Valdivia
  • Caupolicán
  • Lautaro
Battle of TucapelBattle of TucapelBattle of QuiapoDisaster of CuralabaFirst Siege of Fort AraucoSecond Siege of AraucoBattle of AngolBattle of QuiapoDisaster of CuralabaFirst Siege of Fort AraucoSecond Siege of AraucoBattle of AngolConcepciónLos AngelesTemucoLotaVictoriaLebuCarahueTalcahuano100 km37.796S, 73.401W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1553

Battle of Tucapel is one of 1,470 engagements of the 16th century in the atlas and one of 84 in present-day Chile.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q645257, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Tucapel, revision 1378444338, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.