Atahualpa: Death of the Last Inca Emperor
Early Modern • 44m
On 26 July 1533, a rope was tightened around the neck of Inca Emperor Atahualpa in the central plaza in Cajamarca in what is now Peru. The general who ordered his execution, Pizarro, is said to have shed a tear as the life drained from the condemned's body. On paper, the man died a Catholic by the name of Francisco, but he had been forced to change both his name and religion just hours before his death. A decision Atahualpa had made to ensure that his own death could be undone. So he might be resurrected to rule over his people once more. In less than a century, his people had built the biggest empire ever known in the Americas at that time. And his death signalled the end of that great empire. This is the story of the death of the last Inca Emperor, Atahualpa, and the downfall of the Inca Empire.
Filmed on location in Peru. Featuring interviewees from Peruvian archaeologist Solsiré Cusicanqui Marsano and local guide Manual Portal Cabellos. Narrated by Sarah Agha. Produced by Mark Bowsher and Lizeth Yarlequé.
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