Battle of Aguere

Part of Castilian conquest of Tenerife

Date	November 14–15, 1494
Location	San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife.
Result	Castilian victory

Belligerents

Crown of Castile, Guanche and European allies

Guanches

Commanders and leaders

Alonso Fernández de Lugo

Bencomo
Acaymo
Tinguaro
Beneharo

Strength

1,200 infantry, 70 knights, 600 Guanche allies

6,000–11,000

Casualties and losses

30–60 dead, many dozens injured

2,000 dead

The Battle of Aguere, or Battle of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, was fought between forces of the Crown of Castile, led by the Adelantado (military governor) Alonso Fernández de Lugo, and the natives of Tenerife, called Guanches. The battle took place November 14–15, 1494.

Fernández de Lugo had suffered defeat by Guanche forces at the First Battle of Acentejo. The Battle of Aguere was a Castilian victory; whereas in the First Battle of Acentejo the Guanches had been favored by their knowledge of the mountainous terrain, in this engagement, the native forces found themselves at a disadvantage on the plain of Aguere.

The Battle of Aguere was later followed by the decisive Second Battle of Acentejo more than a month later, which resulted in the complete Castilian conquest of Tenerife.

After the First Battle of Acentejo, Alonso Fernández de Lugo returned to Gran Canaria, practically without troops, as the Castilian forces had suffered between 1,000 and 2,000 casualties at the First Battle of Acentejo. At Gran Canaria, Fernández de Lugo established contact with the merchants Francisco de Palomar, Nicolás de Angelote, Guillermo del Blanco and Mateo Viña in order to seek financial support for his planned conquest of Tenerife.

The group enlisted the aid of Juan Alfonso Pérez de Guzmán, the Duke of Medina Sidonia, who contributed 600 soldiers and 30 horsemen, veterans of the conquest of Granada. (Béthencourt Alfonso cites, however, 670 foot soldiers and 80 horsemen). 500 Castilian soldiers were added to this force, a group that included survivors of the First Battle of Acentejo and a small contingent sent by Doña Inés Peraza, a noblewoman of Lanzarote.

Fernández de Lugo also had the support of Ferdinand and Isabella, who had given him ten more months to complete his conquest of the Canaries. During this time of regrouping, he also captured many slaves in Gran Canaria.

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Wikipedia