Battle of Arica
1880 CE · Arica, Peru (now Chile)
The Battle of Arica was fought in 1880 CE in Arica, Peru (now Chile) between Chile vs Peru; Chilean victory; the outnumbered Peruvian garrison fought to the end and Bolognesi was killed.
Battle of Arica: quick facts
- Date
- 1880 CE
- Location
- Arica, Peru (now Chile)
- Belligerents
- Chile vs Peru
- Commanders
- Pedro Lagos vs Francisco Bolognesi
- Result
- Chilean victory; the outnumbered Peruvian garrison fought to the end and Bolognesi was killed.
- Era
- 🌎 Latin American Wars
- Quiz difficulty
- hard
What happened at the Battle of Arica?
Chilean forces stormed the heavily fortified clifftop position of Arica in just 55 minutes. Colonel Francisco Bolognesi had refused to surrender, vowing to fight to the last cartridge. The fierce assault and the defenders' heroic resistance made Arica one of the most celebrated battles on both sides of the War of the Pacific.
Did you know?
Colonel Bolognesi's famous last words at Arica — 'I have sacred duties to fulfill and I will fight until firing the last cartridge' — became one of the most iconic phrases in Peruvian military history.
Sources and further reading
- Battle of Arica on Wikipedia for the full account, historiography and primary sources.
- How BattleGuess compiles and checks battle facts: see the About page.
Entry last reviewed 26 September 2026.