Cristóbal Ponte

Cristóbal de Ponte (1447 in Genoa, 1531) was a Genoese banker and merchant who founded the city of Garachico and its port after conquering Tenerife in 1496. He is considered one of the first settlers of Garachico and one of the main financiers of Alonso Fernández de Lugo's campaign of conquest.

Life

Cristóbal de Ponte was born in Genoa in 1447 and belonged to a distinguished family. He was married to Ana de Vergara, who bore him several children. He worked as a banker and merchant and had business connections with Spain and Portugal. In 1493 he joined Alonso Fernández de Lugo's expedition to conquer the Canary Islands for the Spanish crown. He financed part of the equipment and troops in exchange for large estates in Tenerife.

After the Conquest

After conquering Tenerife in 1496, he settled on one of his properties, which overlooked a bay suitable for the construction of a port. He founded the city of Garachico there, which soon became the island's most important trading center. He built a sugar cane plantation and a sugar mill on his land and exported the sugar to Europe. He was also involved in other economic activities, such as building a water saw in 1504 or growing vines and grain. He also promoted the construction of churches and monasteries in Garachico, such as the Iglesia de Santa Ana or the Franciscan monastery. He died in 1531 and was buried in the Iglesia de Santa Ana.

Sources

Garachico: Una Historia de Resistencia - UDOE ²: Monumentos - Garachico ³: CRISTÓBAL DE PONTE en GARACHICO | MAPA and PLANO : Garachico - Wikipedia : Cristóbal de Ponte, founder of Garachico - Secret Tenerife : Garachico in Tenerife

References

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