Tacoronte, Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Tacoronte ( Guanche tagoror ) is a city in the northeast of the Canary Island of Tenerife with 23 805 inhabitants (as of 1 January 2013). Tacoronte is connected to Santa Cruz de Tenerife on the northern motorway TF-5. Tacoronte located west of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Neighboring municipalities are San Cristóbal de La Laguna to the east, El Rosario in the south and El Sauzal in the West.

The municipality has an area of ​​Tacoronte 30.09 km ².

Population

Historical development

The largest part of the area now occupied by the place Tacoronte was, after the conquest of the island of Tenerife is over by troops of Queen Isabella of Castile and Leon in the early 16th century, the conquistador Sebastián Machado Guimarães (Portugal). He left at the spot where now stands the church of Santa Catalina, build a chapel. To this chapel, the first settlement made ​​in this area. In 1560 the village had 342 inhabitants and its own mayor. In 1649 an Augustinian monastery was above the church of Santa Catalina to the point where there was a chapel of St. Sebastian since the beginning of the 16th century, built. The church itself was built after 1664. At the beginning of the 80s of the 17th century, the crisis made ​​itself felt in the vineyards and in Tacoronte. Many young men emigrated in the aftermath of Cuba and Venezuela. In 1787, the population consisted of 2662 persons of whom were 1563 women and 1099 men. The tendency to emigration continued in the following centuries. The relationships of population Tacorontes to Havana and Caracas are of particular importance. To date a number of works of art in the churches from donations emigrated and partly of returned persons or those descendants. The flight plan of the airport Los Rodeos (Tenerife Norte), has still made ​​(since October 2012) and Caracas for direct flights abroad only Paris. (November 2012) As the tram of Santa Cruz de Tenerife over La Laguna was created with the end of the line above the previous center of Tacoronte in 1901, the economic affairs of the town shifted there. In 1910 lived 5071 people on the territory of today Tacoronte. In 1911 Tacoronte received city rights. Since that time, there is an independent city government of La Laguna with Alcalde / Presidente as chairman of the " Excelentísimo Ayuntamiento " ( City Council / City Council ).

Economic Development

The population lived since the beginning of the 16th century on agriculture. The economic development of the village is dominated by subsistence agriculture. We have grown all kinds of cereals, potatoes and onions. Viticulture, also for export, played a role until the end of the 19th century. In an intermediate phase of the cultivation of cochineal to a source of revenue. The export of bananas never won at the beginning of the 20th century, however, the meaning as in Puerto de la Cruz or Puerto de la Cruz. First approaches to tourism arose from the hotel Camacho, built at the beginning of the century in the British Victorian Colonial in Tacoronte. There are now (2012 ) a number of small hotels which do not lie directly on the sea. Is the golf course of the Real Club de Golf de Tenerife on the outskirts of La Laguna. The importance of tourism for Tacoronte is the fact that there are some settlements where foreign retirees living of foreign exchange and the fact that the inhabitants Tacorontes work in the tourist centers. Since the late 80s of the 20th century, the wine gained new importance. While in the period before 1990, the wine was rather incidentally operated, self-catering, the owner of the vineyard is now organized in a cooperative ( Viña Norte) and were the first that a denomination of origin namely Tacoronte- Acentejo were awarded on the island. Of importance - not only for tourism - is also the farmer's market ( mercadillo del agricultor ) of Saturdays and Sundays in the district of Mesa del Mar, on the road takes place in the direction Tejina. Allowed in this market, as in similar markets in other parts of the island, only products are sold with a few exceptions that were generated in the area of the city.

Culture and landscape protection

In 1980 a part of the city as Conjunto histórico - artístico was declared a National Monument. The Regulation about 90 buildings are listed individually in the context of the church of Santa Catalina and in the environment of the former Augustinian monastery. In addition, the Regulation on the Casa de la Alhóndiga, El Calvario, several dragon trees, and the churches of San Jerónimo, San Juan de la Caridad and concerns. In 2007, the Acantilados de Tacoronte y Barranco de Guayonge and 2008 Yacimiento Archaeological J. Fenández were - found La Fuentecilla as Archeological areas ( Zona arqueológica ) under protection. In 2008, the production of nougat, a type of almond or hazelnut nougat candy from Tacoronte ( Turronera actividad de Tacoronte) was provisionally registered in the as "Bien of Interest Cultural" tab.

Large areas of the coast but especially the laurel forest of Agua García are protected.

Sons and daughters of the town

• María Rosa Alonso 1909 - 2011 philologist and writer
• Óscar Domínguez 1906 - 1957 Artists ( Óscar Domínguez was born in San Cristóbal de La Laguna his family came from Tacoronte and he spent his youth in Tacoronte. )