Alonso Fernández de Lugo

Alonso Shine Fernández de Lugo (? - 1525) was a soldier and Spanish Conquistador. He was born with Sanlúcar de Barrameda in Spain during the reign from Ferdinand V and Isabelle Ire from Castille. He returned in the navy where he reaches the rank of Adelantado (kind of Gouverneur) and of General Captain of the African Coasts. He conquered the islands of Palma (1493) and of Tenerife (1495), the last of the Canary islands to being attached to the crown of Castille. It is also the founder of the towns of San Cristóbal of Laguna and of Santa Cruz of Palma.

During the conquest of Tenerife, it essuya a great defeat at the time of the First Battle of Acentejo (which gave its name to the commune of Matanza de Acentejo) before overcoming the Guanches island during the Second Battle of Acentejo (of which the commune of Victoria de Acentejo car her name). At the time of the First Battle, Fernández de Lugo, although wounded, was able to save its life by exchanging its red cape of Adelantado against that of a private. It is said that it lost the majority of its teeth when Guanche launched a rock to him to the head.

Humiliated and careful after the defeat of Acentejo, which was disastrous for the Spaniards, Fernández de Lugo conquered stage by stage the island, by building and rebuilding forts. Forwarding, that Lugo financed thanks to the sale of all its properties, unloaded in Añazo, where it builds two turns at the place where it had built its strong first before its last defeat. It ordered more tested troops they included 1.000 soldiers with foot, veterans of the conquest of Grenade, lent by the duke of Medina Sidonia. Fernández de Lugo had also the support of Ferdinand and Isabelle, which had granted ten months to him more to complete its conquest of the Canaries. During this period it also captured many slaves.

The conquest of Palma began on September 29th, 1492, when Fernández de Lugo accosted on the beaches of Tazacorte. On this island, Fernández de Lugo beat Tanausu, which reigned on the area then named Acero (Caldera de Taburiente). Tanausu was attracted in an ambush after having accepted a truce organized by Fernández de Lugo and Juan de Palma, which was Guanche converted with the Christianisme and a relative of Tanausu. The conquest of Palma was finished on May 3rd, 1493.

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