Tacoronte Historical Novel Festival Launches Second Phase Focusing on Tenerife’s Foundational Era

The second phase of the 6th Ciudad de Tacoronte Historical Novel Festival kicks off this Thursday, November 12, with a program dedicated to history and academic research. All events will take place at the House of Culture, starting with the presentation of new research on Tenerife’s foundational period and the 2nd Baldomera García Historical Research Award. The day will conclude with a ceremony at 8:30 p.m.

At 6:30 p.m., the festival will host a discussion on Cristóbal de Ponte, the Genoese banker and merchant whose financial support was vital to establishing the Castilian presence in the Canary Islands. The book’s author, José Carlos Guerra Cabrera—a professor at the University of La Laguna and recipient of the Cross of Alfonso X the Wise—will discuss his work alongside geographer Fernando Martín Galán.

Guerra Cabrera’s study goes beyond a simple biography. It uses de Ponte’s life to explore the 35 years following the island's occupation. The book examines key historical developments, including the rise of the sugar industry and the political tensions between administrator Alonso Fernández de Lugo and the Crown of Castile regarding the treatment of the aboriginal population. Furthermore, the work places Tenerife within a broader global context, connecting local social changes to major events like Atlantic expansion, the Revolt of the Comuneros, and the instability in Europe following the Sack of Rome. It also documents the origins of the devotion to the Virgin of Candelaria.

These gatherings in Tacoronte highlight the value of sharing history with the public, offering a closer look at the power struggles and cultural shifts that shaped the islands after the 15th century. Admission to all events is free.