Hernando Pizarro y de Vargas (c. 1504 – c. 1578) was a Spanish conquistador known for his role in the Spanish conquest of Peru. He was the only legitimate son of Captain Gonzalo Pizarro and Isabel de Vargas, giving him an advantage in Spanish society compared to his half-brothers. This legitimacy afforded him a competent education and influence within the Spanish court. He had two full sisters, Inés Pizarro y de Vargas and Isabel Pizarro y de Vargas. Through his father he was a second cousin of Hernán Cortés.
Hernando accompanied his half-brother Francisco Pizarro to Peru in 1530, contributing to the capture of the Inca Emperor Atahualpa in 1532. Following Atahualpa's execution, Hernando led an expedition to the Pachacamac temple, seizing treasures and destroying religious idols. He was later sent back to Spain with the "royal fifth," a portion of the Inca treasures for the Emperor. During the Inca rebellion led by Manco Inca, Hernando commanded defenses, including the relief of the siege of Cuzco. In the ensuing Spanish conflicts, he led the Pizarro forces to victory at the Battle of Las Salinas in 1538, resulting in Diego de Almagro's capture and execution.
Despite his service to the Spanish crown, Hernando was imprisoned for around 20 years due to lawsuits from Almagro's supporters. After his release in 1561, he lived in his Trujillo palace until his death in 1578. In 1552, he married his niece, Francisca Pizarro Yupanqui, the daughter of Francisco Pizarro and Inés Yupanqui, and they had five children. His actions significantly contributed to the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, though his later life was marked by imprisonment and relative obscurity.
