Tabarca settled here. The islet was renamed Nova Tabarca ("New Tabarca" in both Valencian and Latin). Thus a settlement was created by royal edict on this uninhabited island which the North African corsaries had previously used as a platform for raids on the Levantine coast. On their arrival, the Genoese were first moved to Alicante, where they lived temporarily in the Jesuit School, empty after the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain. Finally, the Genoese were moved to the island together with a Spanish garrison. The military engineer Fernando Méndez Ras planned a fortified town and walls, bulwarks, warehouses and barracks
Roman Catholic Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna are distributed between the different islands: In Tenerife: In La Palma: The islands of La Gomera and El Hierro have one archpriest each for the entire island territory: "Iglesia Nivariense" (Church Nivariense) is a religious magazine published by the Diocese of Tenerife. The publication deals with the religious celebrations of the diocese and related religious topics. Also it publishes for other islands that shape the diocese: La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. In the magazine there do not appear sections of politics, economy or sports. It is published especially to distribute it in the parishes and churches of the