Defense
This route follows episodes of maritime threat and defensive construction that help explain the strategic role of the Canaries on Atlantic routes.
Piracy, defense and fortifications
Corsair attacks, strategic ports and defensive responses in the Canarian Atlantic.
Articles to follow
The Lordly Conquest of the Canary Islands: Normans, Power, and Social Change
Explore how the lordly conquest led by Normans like Jean de Béthencourt and Gadifer de La Salle reshaped the Canary Islands and laid the foundations for a new society.
The Port of La Luz: Engine of Change in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria
The Port of La Luz has played a pivotal role in the modernization and economic, social, and cultural development of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria since the 19th century.
Timeline milestones
1553 Attack on Santa Cruz de La Palma by the French corsair François Le Clerc. 1561 Construction of the Castillo de San Cristóbal in Santa Cruz de Tenerife for coastal defence. 1585 Attack by the pirate Francis Drake on the coasts of the Canary Islands. 1599 Attack by the English privateer Walter Raleigh on the Canarian coasts. 1659 Construction of new fortifications in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in response to pirate threats.
Related figures
Key terms
Linked sources
- Zebensui López Trujillo (coord.) — Historia y Patrimonio de Canarias, Vol. 2: Conquista y colonización del archipiélago (Primaria) (2020)View bibliographic record
- TBD — Historia de la Ciudad (Las Palmas de Gran Canaria)View bibliographic record