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Marcos de Niza

Marcos de Niza (mär'kōs dā nē'sä) [key], c.1495–1558, missionary explorer in Spanish North America. A Franciscan friar, he served in Peru and Guatemala before going to Mexico. There he headed an expedition (1539) planned by Antonio de Mendoza, who had been excited by Cabeza de Vaca's stories of rich Native American pueblos. Fray Marcos traveled north at least into SE Arizona and perhaps into New Mexico. Probably duped by Zuñi legends, the friar described with enthusiasm and great inaccuracy the fabulous riches of the Seven Cities of Cibola. They proved to be only fables when Francisco Vásquez de Coronado led (1540) his soldiers there. Fray Marcos was dismissed as guide and sent back in disgrace.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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More on Marcos de Niza from Infoplease:

  • Marcos de Niza - Niza, Marcos de: Niza, Marcos de: see Marcos de Niza.
  • Cibola - Cibola: Cibola: see Marcos de Niza; Coronado, Francisco Vásquez de.
  • Zuñi - Zuñi Zuñi , pueblo (1990 pop. 7,405), McKinley co., W N.Mex., in the Zuñi ...
  • Acoma - Acoma Acoma or Ácoma, pueblo (1990 pop. 2,590), alt. c.7,000 ft (2,130 m), Valencia co., W ...
  • Antonio de Mendoza - Mendoza, Antonio de Mendoza, Antonio de , 1490?–1552, Spanish administrator, first viceroy of ...

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