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Tuineje
Fuerteventura Paseo la Libertad
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Monumento para las Batallas de Tuineje 1740Memorial for the Battles of Tuineje 1740 |
artist unknown
2011-13 |
Rock with a relief showing a camel's head and a farmer fighting with an English soldier.
1740 13 de ottubre |
1740 13 october |
The both monuments in the center of Tuineje, to the left the stone, to the right the book
The most important military events that have occurred in Tuineje, if not Fuerteventura, were the English attacks against Fuerteventura in 1740. These attacks stemmed from the Anglo-Spanish war (1739-1742). On 13 October 1740, a contingent of troops from an English Corsair disembarked in the region of Gran Tarajal, and followed the gulley in the direction of Tuineje, where heavily armed, they performed looting and destruction, including to the town's church. The lieutenant Colonel, Joseph Sánchez Umpiérrez, recruited people from the area and went in search of the English who were already retreating to their ship, and the two sides met in the Battle of El Cuchillete. The English consisted of 53 men with modern weapons and the Majoreros were armed with farming implements and used camels as shields. The lieutenant Colonel achieved a memorable victory in which 33 of the British died and the remainder were taken prisoner.
The other battle happened on 24 November, when 55 soldiers disembarked at Gran Tarajal and again marched to Tuineje. This time the natives knew of the disembarkation beforehand, and were able to assemble a larger force that was better armed as a result of having the weapons that they had captured the previous month. This force met the British in the Battle of Llano Florido, popularly know as the battle of Tamasite, and wiped them out (source & more info: Battle of Tamasite, Fuerteventura's history).
The Island Council of Fuerteventura and the City Council of Tuineje plan to install eight sculptures forming a sculptural circuit with which the Battle of Tamasite will be remembered. The first two pieces are by the sculptor Amancio González in corten steel and are entitled Y amaneciendo el día and Ya vienen las compañías.
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