In the Early Middle Ages there started to arrive explorers, sailors, and European conquerors to the Canary shores, starting a historic process that would end in the archipelago’s joining the realm of Castalia at the end of the XV century.

In the first century, the Roman historian Plinius described the Canary Islands through an expedition sent by Juba, king of Mauritania. From the second half of the XIII century, successive waves of Europeans arrived (Genovese, Portuguese and Castilians) that stole livestock, made lonely shepherds prisoners to sell off as slaves in the far off Europe.

In 1335 a ship with Guanche prisoners as slaves arrived at Lisbon. Later in 1341 a fleet of ships chartered by the King of Portugal and with a Florentine, Genovese and Spanish crew reached the Canary Islands, returning to Lisbon five months later laden with interesting merchandise, among them Guanches as slaves. In the following years the Canary Islands became a favourite spot where the sailors of different nations went slave hunting.