Juan Bautista Pastene

Who was Juan Bautista Pastene?

Giovanni Battista Pastene was a Genoese maritime explorer who, while in the service of the Spanish crown, explored the coasts of Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile as far south as to the archipelago of Chiloé.

Juan Bautista Pastene was born in Genoa. His parents were Thomas and Esmeralda Solimana Pastene. He married Geneva Seixas, with whom he had three children. He arrived in Honduras in 1526, traveling in his own ship. He then came to Peru in 1536 to serve Francisco Pizarro. In 1544, and was pilot and Master of the ship Concepción.

He participated actively in many maritime explorations, which earned him be appointed by the Audiencia of Panama as a piloto mayor of the Mar del Sur.

King Charles V ordered the exploration of southern Chile. This task was given by the Viceroy of Peru to Pastene, in 1543, for which he was awarded the title of general de la Mar del Sur.

In 1544 Pedro de Valdivia entrusted exploring the coasts of the south to Pastene, ordering him to reach the Strait of Magellan. Although he did not reach this goal, he explored much of the coast. He was the first to arrive at Bay of Concepción, in the ship "San Pedro", and took possession of it.