House of Béthencourt
“Conquistator Insulae”
Origin: Norman conquerors of the Canary Islands
Jean de Béthencourt, a Norman knight, led the first European conquest of the Canary Islands in 1402. His descendants ruled as lords of Lanzarote and Fuerteventura.\n\nThe family established European settlement on the islands, introducing agriculture, Christianity, and feudal governance to the indigenous Guanche population.\n\nTheir extraordinary trans-Atlantic adventure—Normans conquering Atlantic islands for the Castilian crown—is one of the most remarkable episodes of medieval colonialism.