Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada

Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada (1509 –Suesca, 16 February 1579) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador in Colombia. He explored the northern part of South America. As a well-educated lawyer he was one of the few intellectuals of the Spanish conquest. He was an effective organizer and leader, designed the first legislation for the government of the area, and was its historian. After 1569 he undertook explorations toward the east, searching for the elusive El Dorado, but returned to New Granada in 1573. He has been suggested as a possible model for Cervantes' Don Quixote.