The Conquest of Chile was a period in the history of Chile that began when Pedro de Valdivia went to Chile in 1541. The conquest of Chile ended when Martín García Óñez de Loyola died in 1598 in the Battle of Curalaba. It could have also ended after the Destruction of the Seven Cities happened. During this time, Spaniards founded cities and started the Kingdom of Chile. Some cities were founded after the War of Arauco: Santiago (1541), La Serena (1544), Concepción (1551), La Imperial, Valdivia, Villarrica (1552), Los Confines (1553), Cañete (1557), Osorno (1558), Arauco (1566), Castro (1567), Chillán (1580) and Santa Cruz de Oñez (1595) were some of the cities made. This period ended with the death of Loyola and the loss of their seven cities in Araucanía. The War of Arauco continued but the Spanish were never able to recover their control in the Araucanía, at the south of the River of Bío Bío.