Alfonso de Bolaños facts for kids

Alfonso de Bolaños was a Franciscan friar and missionary from the 1400s. He was born around Burgos in the Crown of Castile (which is now part of Spain). He passed away in 1478 on the island of Tenerife.

People called him the "Apostle of Tenerife" because he started sharing Christian teachings on the island. He did this about 30 years before the island was fully taken over by the Spanish.

About Alfonso de Bolaños

His Early Life

We don't know much about Alfonso de Bolaños's early years. It's thought he was born in Burgos, a city in Spain. This is because he had strong connections to that city. He joined a Franciscan monastery in Burgos when he was young. Some people think he might have been from Andalusia instead.

Later, in 1462, Pope Pius II sent Alfonso de Bolaños and other monks on important missions. Their goal was to travel to Guinea and the Canary Islands to share their faith.

His Mission in Tenerife

Alfonso de Bolaños settled in the southeast of Tenerife with two other monks, Masedo and Diego de Belmanúa. This area was called the Menceyato de Güímar and was home to the Guanches, the island's native people.

He built a small church, called a hermitage, in what is now the town of Candelaria. This was a special place for the Guanches. They honored an image of the Virgin of Candelaria in a nearby cave called the Cave of Achbinico. Alfonso's mission wasn't just for Tenerife; he also wanted to reach the African coast.

These monks lived among the Guanches. They learned their language and helped many of them become Christians. They had help from Antón Guanche, a native translator who had already become Christian in Lanzarote.

The Pope supported Bolaños's work. However, this caused some problems with other church leaders and with Diego de Herrera. Herrera was the lord of the Canary Islands and saw Bolaños as someone interfering in his lands. It's believed that the Christian faith started by Bolaños mixed with some of the Guanches' own beliefs.

Reporting to the Pope

When Sixtus IV became the new Pope, Alfonso de Bolaños traveled to Rome. He wanted to tell the Pope about the success of his mission. In his report, Bolaños said he had "converted thousands of pagans." While this number might have been a bit high, it helped him keep the Pope's support.

Pope Sixtus IV was pleased. On June 29, 1472, he named Bolaños a special representative, or Nuncio. He also made him the Commissioner for Guinea and Canary Islands.

Four years later, Alfonso de Bolaños returned to Rome to update the Pope again. He reported that four of the seven Canary Islands had already heard the Christian message. He also said there was great hope for the other islands, especially Tenerife, where he led the mission.

His Passing

Sadly, Alfonso de Bolaños passed away in 1478 at the hermitage he built. After his death, his missionary project ended. In 1480, a new church rule took away the special permissions given to him and his followers. A new group, called the Franciscan Vicariate of the Canary Islands and other islands, was created.

Even though Bolaños died before the Spanish fully conquered Tenerife, his work had a lasting impact. When Alonso Fernández de Lugo led the conquest between 1494 and 1496, much of the southern part of the island was already Christian.

See Also

In Spanish: Alfonso de Bolaños para niños

• Menceyato of Güímar
• Antón Guanche
• Canary Islands in pre-colonial times