The Real Club Náutico de Tenerife (RCNT) hosted a cultural event on Thursday featuring a conference titled “Rosalía Gómez, the Last Slave of Tenerife (1801-1874)”, presented by distinguished judge and historian Nelson Díaz Frías.
Held in the club’s Noble Hall, the talk introduced attendees to the largely unknown story of Rosalía Gómez, born in Charco del Pino, Granadilla de Abona, in 1801. She is recognised as the last enslaved person on Tenerife and one of the last documented in Spain.
Díaz Frías discussed key moments in Gómez’s life and framed her experiences within the persistence of slavery in southern Tenerife during the 19th century. Born into slavery, as her mother was also enslaved, her story is part of a lineage that suffered this fate for generations.
The conference highlighted the social realities of the time and sought to revive the memory of a figure whose life remained largely unacknowledged. Díaz Frías’ research is detailed in his 2020 publication “Rosalía Gómez (1801-1874). The Last Slave of Tenerife”.
This event marks the beginning of a new phase in RCNT’s cultural agenda, reaffirming its commitment to education and the preservation of Canary Islands history. The programme will continue throughout September with more initiatives aimed at members and interested individuals.
