The Story of Inca Atahualpa

The Ransom Room (Cuarto del Rescate) is an old Inca building in the city of Cajamarca, which is now no longer visible through a porch between the other houses of the street from the outside. Only the heading at the entrance, which leads into the actual courtyard, still points to this special place. The small building is about 11,80m long, 7,30m wide and about 3,10m high.

This place is considered the peruvian historian as the place where the Inca Atahualpa was imprisoned. There he is said to have spent the last days of his life in it.

The spaniards began in 1532 with the conquest of the Inca Empire. On november 15, 1532, Francisco Pizarro arrived in the city of Cajamarca, where he collided with the Inca Atahualpa.

In the city, people hid in the main buildings of the square and waited eagerly to see what would happen next. Hours later, they saw the phenomenal performance of Atahualpa with a parade of about 30,000 men who were so confident they were not disarmed. Upon entering the square, the only spaniard, the monk Vicente de Valverde, who by an interpreter (Felipillo or other sources say it was Maritinillo) invited the Inca to accept christianity and become this true religion, and the authority of King Charles I of Spain and Pope Clement VII. The monk handed over money and a ring as a gift.
Atahualpa saw that these things had no meaning to him and threw them to the ground. This action caused outrage among the spaniards, who immediately broke the truce by firing their artillery and rifles. The subjects of Atahualpa were killed without mercy. Some fell and were quickly replaced by the existing numbers of humans (warriors). When he saw this situation, one of the conquerors tried to kill the Inca with a knife. Pizarro prevented it and he even injured his hand and he ordered that no one had to touch the Inca.

According to some chroniclers, the massacre was only completed when the spaniards had killed more than 20,000 Inca soldiers and also a close friend of Atahualpa, the Lord of Chincha, was killed.

As a result, Atahualpa was imprisoned in a palace in Cajamarca. In prison, as compensation for his release, he offered to fill the room where he was held twice with silver and gold “as far as his hand would go.”
The spaniards accepted and immediately the order was sent to the entire inca empire to send as much gold and silver as possible to Cajamarca. After serving, the spaniards sentenced him to idol for idolatry, fratricide, polygamy, incest, and accused him of hiding a treasure.

Atahualpa was given the last two options: being baptized as a christian and then being hanged or burned alive. When choosing the first option he would be christened with the name Francisco. It is believed that Francisco Pizarro mourned his death.

Atahualpa was executed on july 26, 1533. The news of his death triggered a great anarchy, many ethnic Inca groups revolted and tried to regain their independence.