Vilcabamba was founded by Manco Inca in 1539 and was the last city of the Inca Empire until it fell to the Spaniards in 1572 . That meant the end of Inca resistance to Spanish rule . Vilcabamba ( from Quechua : Willkapampa , `` sacred plain '' ) was a city founded by Manco Inca in 1539 and was the last refuge of the Inca Empire until it fell to the Spaniards in 1572 , signaling the end of Inca resistance to Spanish rule .