Teguise (municipality)

Teguise is one of the seven churches of the Canary Island of Lanzarote and the name of its central administrative office, the former capital of the island with 1,625 inhabitants ( 2008) ( entire municipality 21,152 - Balance at 1 January 2013). Teguise was a bishopric and is next to Betancuria in Fuerteventura is the oldest city in the Canarian Archipelago. 1852 San Miguel de Teguise was replaced as capital of the island by the emerging coastal town of Arrecife. The entire municipality covers 263.98 square kilometers from the east to the west coast of Lanzarote. The islands lying north of Lanzarote before Chinijo Archipelago (notably La Graciosa and the uninhabited islands Alegranza, Montaña Clara, Roque del Este and Roque del Oeste ) belong to the municipality of Teguise.

History

The Real Villa de Teguise ( royal city) was founded around 1406 by Maciot de Bethencourt, the nephew of the Norman conqueror Jean de Bethencourt. Maciot had a girlfriend named Teguise, after this he renamed the place that bore the name Acatife previously. Teguise was the daughter Guardarfias, former ruler of the island, and son of Queen Ico. The first bishopric of the Canaries returns its founding to the prehistoric Guanchendorf Gran Aldea.

In 1568 the North African pirates prince Morato Arráez plundered the city, killed many inhabitants or made ​​them slaves, after he had sacked Arrecife. The Callejon de Sangre (Blood Alley ) behind the parish church remembers today with a plaque on this terrible tragedy. These attacks continued until the year 1618, as again Berber laid the city in ruins. Built on the 435 -meter-high volcano Guanapay Castillo de Santa Bárbara was built to protect against these attacks, but proved useless. Until the 18th century, some twenty raids were counted.

Culture and sights

Churches

The Church of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is at the Plaza de la Constitución, the main square with palm trees, Indian laurel trees and Araucaria. It has three naves in neo-Gothic style. Landmark is the bell tower of red volcanic rock. It was built originally in 1428, but was destroyed several times by pirates. A fire in 1909 also taught a lot of damage, since then burned the archives of the parish of Teguise.

The showpiece of the built in the 17th century Church of Vera Cruz is the Christ statue of Lujan Pérez over the ages. The statue said to have been stranded in a wooden box in the bay of Famara.

Convento de Santo Domingo of the Dominican Order was founded in 1698 by Capitán Rodriguez Carrasco. Located above the right door in red stone, the symbols of the Order. Inside there are two naves. Today it is a contemporary art gallery, in the important national artists already exhibited their works.

The two-aisled church of San Francisco from 1590 is dedicated to the Madre de Dios de Miraflores. 1618 was the former Franciscan monastery Convento de San Francisco, to which the church belonged, a pirate attack victim. Probably took place the opening ceremony of the monastery on April 26, 1590. With donations, the two-aisled church could be rebuilt. Today it is a cultural center for concerts and exhibitions with a particularly beautiful portal and wooden ceiling.

Ermita Veracruz

Convent of Santo Domingo

Iglesia San Francisco

Other buildings

Behind the church of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is called a square with a fountain, Mareta. It is renovated in 1992, and the largest cistern Lanzarote with 40 meters in diameter and nine meters deep. In the corridors under the square which flows down from the volcano Guanapay rainwater was collected. The Catacombs of lava rock with a huge canal system are not accessible.

The former Zehnthaus La Cilla had to be delivered in the ten percent of the harvest, was built in 1412 as the first European house on the Canary Island. It now houses the Caja Canarias.

Compared to the parish church of Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is the Museo Palacio Spinola. The mansion was built by José Feo Peraza 1730-1780. Front of the palace are two stone lions. Until 1974 it was home to noble families, and then restored by César Manrique. Throughout its facade, its stone front steps, his chapel in the interior, large halls, courtyards and cisterns, the political and military power of this era reflects. Today, the island's government used the building for representation purposes, it is also the official residence of the President of the Canary Islands.

Directly at the Church of San Francisco, is the Museo Sacro. Since 1998, this building serves as a museum with a collection of about 70 pieces from churches and monasteries of Teguise.

In Teguise are some manors. Externally closed, with typical shutters, located inside high living rooms around a patio.

Former Zehnthaus La Cilla

Museo Palacio Spinola

Craft

Teguise the origin is the Timple, a small stringed instrument that is traditionally played on several Canary Islands. In Teguise there are several Timplebauer today. A workshop is located in the Arts and Crafts School Escuela de Artesana, near the church of Vera Cruz.

Others

A few years ago the mayor Martin left the 300 -year-old, large-scale pavement in the streets of Teguise pour concrete. This " modernization" is now very much regretted. The old town is now a protected monument.

Teguise has remained a prosperous small town. Traditionally, every Sunday from 9 to 14 clock market day. Through this, especially with tourists popular market Teguise is still one of the most visited cities of the island.

Places in the municipality

The population figures in brackets are from the year 2008.

• Costa Teguise ( 6324 )
• Tahiche ( 3,751 )
• Villa de Teguise ( 1625 )
• Guatiza ( 847)
• Nazareth ( 925)
• Caleta de Famara ( 837 )
• La Graciosa ( 648)
• Soo (615)
• Tao ( 561 )
• Los Valles (409 )
• Mozaga ( 376)
• Muñique ( 366)
• Tiagua (308 )
• Teseguite (284 )
• Los Cocoteros (256 )
• Las Caletas (138 )
• El Mojon (107 )
• Las Cabrera (106 )
• Caleta de Caballo (126 )
• Tomaren (61 )
• Las Laderas (58 )
• Los Ancones (44 )
• Charco del Palo (26 )