La Victoria de Acentejo

"Dawn had not yet broken when the two armies came within sight of each other. General Lugo saw that the Guanches marched in two separate units, so he did the same with his troops, keeping command of one of the units for himself, he placed the other unit under the command of Lope Hernández de la Guerra. Battle was joined immediately, with such a fury that the Spaniards wreaked havoc among the native islanders. They did not cease, having seen the unusual bravery desperation and determination with which those undisciplined men fought the battle. It all lasted five hours, or to put it more clearly, it lasted until Bencomo, with a severely injured arm and, having understood that Acaimo had also been shot through the biceps, decided that the defeat of his people was inevitable."

This short and dramatic narration by Viera y Clavijo explains the origin of the area's name (The Victory of Acentejo); the victory over the Guanches. That was Christmas, 1495.

A pine tree acted as belfry to announce the victory, as the original building could not support the weight of the bell. Work soon began on a more appropriate church for commemorating such an important event. Viera himself says that the parish of Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de la Victoria was created in 1587.

In 1813, the district was made into a borough and it was given the title of Town in 1900, thanks to the intervention of the priest, Pedro Díaz, so fondly remembered in this area.