Origin Toponymy

With the toponym Agaete, the Chronicles of the Conquest of Gran Canaria refer to the main town of the aboriginal faction or canton settled in the current municipal area of ​​the same name. The pre-Hispanic toponym was later Castilianized by Laguete throughout the modern period, to later return to its primitive origin..

Pre-Hispanic Agaete

The first occupant of the territory was the aboriginal community integrated from a social and political point of view in the Guanartemato of Gáldar, following the fragmentation of the island territory into two kingdoms, close to the beginning of the Castilian conquest (1478). The large number of archaeological sites found in this town confirms the existence of important pre-Hispanic settlements prior to the conquest of Gran Canaria, as well as the interest that Agaete aroused within the Guanartemato of Gáldar, due, fundamentally, to its coastal location and the great wealth of resources in its valleys.

The archaeological research carried out to date on a heritage that has suffered continued deterioration over the centuries, attests to the wealth of its aboriginal society.

The territory presented favourable conditions for the aboriginal economy. Its extensive pastures fed flocks of goats and sheep, and the irrigated terraces of the valley allowed the development of irrigated agriculture, with legumes and barley crops, the main cereal in the aboriginal diet. The coast also offered conditions for fishing activity; an activity that during the subsequent period maintained its prestige in the island economy.

The outcome of the first encounters prior to the Conquest, between European sailors dedicated to the slave trade and the exchange of orchilla and dragon's blood with the indigenous chiefs in exchange for manufactured objects, especially iron tools, is unknown. However, the Majorcans apparently reached the coasts of the Village of San Nicolás and Agaete, in fact, some studies indicate that the construction of the fort or Casa Fuerte in the area of ​​Puerto de las Nieves by the Castilians, was built on that built by the Majorcans the century before the conquest of the island, and which had previously been an aboriginal settlement.

Agaete in the Conquest of Gran Canaria

However, in 1478 the conquest of the island was initiated by the Castilian forces under the command of Juan Rejón, replaced by Pedro de Vera in 1480, who ordered the construction of a tower or fortress in Agaete from which to subdue the indigenous resistance. Specifically in the year 1481, the town constituted a crucial enclave from which the Castilians, through its natural port, known today as Puerto de las Nieves, managed to complete the conquest of the northern part of the island. This port was chosen by the Castilians to arrive their fleets and capture Guanarteme de Gáldar, an aboriginal king, establishing a base of operations, for which a fort was built, later called Casa Fuerte or Casa Roma.

The aforementioned tower had as its first warden Alonso Fernández de Lugo, and his most important feat was the capture of the guanarteme of Gáldar, Thenesor Artemi Semidán, who was later baptized with the name of Fernando Guanarteme by the Catholic Monarchs, playing the role of mediator between the Castilians and the aboriginal resistance.

Agaete after the Conquest

After the conquest was over in April 1483, Alonso Fernández de Lugo, who professed a great devotion to the Virgin of the Snows, was appointed governor of Agaete and governor of this area. He accompanied him on his conquest, not only here, but later in La Palma and Tenerife. It was this devotion that would later give its name to the place, Puerto de las Nieves.

After the wars ended and after the Castilian victory, a new economic and social order was established, with the distribution of lands taking place, with the family of Don Alonso receiving the best lands and richest springs of this valley. After the departure of Alonso Fernández de Lugo, these lands were acquired by the Genoese Antón Cerezo and his son Francisco Palomar. Both planted vineyards and built a powerful sugar mill. The success of this activity allowed the rapid settlement of the area, due to the demand for both wage and slave labour, and, on the other hand, connected Puerto de las Nieves with European markets, especially in the sugar trade with Flanders. At this time, Genoese, Castilians and the surviving aboriginal population became part of the population of the area, among others, all of which formed a society that based its economy on agricultural work.

The urban framework emerged around the Church of the Conception, built around 1515.
Due to the prosperity of the sugar trade, during the 16th century, Antón Cerezo and his wife Sancha Díaz de Zurita brought a Triptych from Flanders dedicated to the Virgin of the Snows, a Triptych of great artistic value, which is now venerated in the Hermitage that bears her name.

However, during the course of the 16th century, these brilliant beginnings soon disappeared due to competition from the American sugar economy, and after the sugar cane crisis, this was replaced by the cultivation of vines and the export of wines, maintaining commercial links abroad with this new production.

At the beginning of the 17th century, Agaete fell into a process of economic and social deterioration. Part of its population moved to other areas, causing a stagnation in its demographic development. The lands, dedicated to the cultivation of cereals, millet or wine, became the property of the power group that bought up the best lands, leaving reduced areas of exploitation for the rest of the population.
During the 17th century, the place began a slow demographic recovery, thus giving rise to the formation of the main population centres that made up the municipality, such as: El Valle, El Sao, or El Hornillo.

Agriculture continued to be the driving force of the economy of Agaete during the following centuries, experiencing a boost from the 19th century with the introduction of the cochineal and later the tomato, during this period the construction of the old dock took place, making trade with the rest of the islands and especially with Tenerife more fluid, developing, from it, an important commercial bourgeoisie together with the agrarian landowners, both forming the elites of the Municipality. The port of Agaete was, at this time, a mandatory stopover for ships bound for northern Europe, as well as serving as an anchorage for ships trading with the island of Tenerife; it was an obligatory stop for runners and passers-by, a vital link with the Village of San Nicolás and an obligatory passage for ships. It was precisely during this period, with the development of the bourgeois social class, when the construction of different buildings with social and economic objectives took place.

Agricultural and fishing activity created a period of relative economic well-being and a growing class consciousness among the peasantry, which exploded violently when the world crisis of 1929 ruined the local export economy.

The decades after 1940 are signs of a certain economic recovery, due to the recovery of the tomato and banana markets, currently bringing its agrarian history to an end, since economic expectations are fundamentally directed towards the development of the service sector. Today, due to the scarcity of water and the development of tourism on the island, tertiary sector activities such as hotels and restaurants predominate over primary sector activities.