Record-breaking heatwave in July 2007

30 July 2007, so hot the cats are melting into the tiled floors once again

On 30 July 2007, a heatwave coincided with serious forest fires in Tenerife (as a result of which we were evacuated the next day) and Gran Canaria. The absolute historical maximum recorded in Gran Canaria was produced: 46.5ºC in Agaete. The average temperature for the period was 30.9ºC, about 8ºC above the average for the month. Also on the same day, the absolute maximum temperature record was broken at La Palma airport, of 38.4 C.

Efemérides meteorológicas en Canarias del siglo XX y XXI

Canary Islands endure July 2004 heatwave

25 Jul 2004, one of the cats trying to keep cool in the intense heatwave

The action of hot winds from Africa enveloped the Canary Islands in an infernal bubble between July 22 and 28, 2004. Scorching sun, calima and, above all, torrid air, were the conditions that the islands had to endure during five suffocating summer days. Thermometers reached unprecedented record temperatures, not seen in decades. The warm air shot temperatures up to 43 degrees in the shade in midland areas. The two Canary Islands' capitals were not spared from the heatwave either: Santa Cruz de Tenerife reached 41º and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 40º. In Lanzarote it reached 43.5º and in no island, except El Hierro, did it drop below 40º during the central hours of the day. The Ministry of Health confirmed the death of 12 elderly people and a 55-year-old man due to the heat wave, the most intense since the Territorial Meteorological Centre was established.

Seven of the deaths occurred in Gran Canaria, four in Tenerife, one in Lanzarote and one in La Palma. Some 113 people required attention in hospital centres (84 in Tenerife and 49 in Gran Canaria), 30 people were admitted with dehydration symptoms. More than sixty thousand farmyard animals, including chickens, chickens and rabbits, died of suffocation on farms. Sleeping was difficult, since night temperatures did not drop below 30 degrees, the hottest record since August 1961, according to statistics from the National Institute of Meteorology. The mountains of Tenerife, La Palma and Gran Canaria suffered forest fires, although the twelve outbreaks declared in five days were quickly controlled.

Electricity consumption increased 9% and water consumption 50%, reported Unelco and Enmasa, respectively. Sales of air conditioners and fans increased tenfold in large stores, until stocks were exhausted in just four days. The trade winds on Thursday 29 brought a cooling of the atmosphere and the islands returned to their usual spring-like climate.

Efemérides meteorológicas en Canarias del siglo XX y XXI

Arona will not impose fines for making sand castles on its beaches: it is a hoax

Sandcastle in undisclosed location

A hoax is circulating that confuses a permitted activity – making children's castles in the sand – with the elaboration of large structures with sand

Arona will not impose fines for building children's sandcastles on its beaches. Confusion has apparenttly spread like wildfire in recent hours with a hoax that has even been echoed by several national media in Spain. Arona Council itself has had to respond to these reports. Arona Council wanted to counter the reports that have been made public on social networks, some of which have even reached the national media, which pointed to a supposed ban on making children's sand castles on the beaches of the municipality, which is false.

Apparently, the issue dates back to a draft ordinance from 2009, in which the limitation of the use of sand was being studied. However, at the municipality level there is still no beach ordinance, which is why the regulations, which come under the Demarcación de Costas (Coastal Authority) govern, which establishes that activities that occupy the maritime-terrestrial domain must have authorization from this department. It refers, not to the construction of the usual children's castles, but large sand structures, such as sculptures, which are seen on many beaches and which, in most cases, are linked to the request for money, to which produces the occupation of public space that, in addition, is seriously deteriorated.

In the event that you want to carry out an activity of those characteristics, it is necessary to request authorization, not from the Arona Town Council, but from the owner of this space, which is the Demarcación de Costas (Coastal Authority), who, following a municipal report, decide whether or not permission is granted.

All in all, there will be no fines for building sandcastles on the beaches of Arona, something that made headlines early this afternoon, even at a national level.

No, Arona no pondrá multas por hacer castillos de arena en sus playas: es un bulo

Carlos de Adam y Brusoni, the only Tenerife native who spoke with Horacio Nelson

Friendlier visitors in Santa Cruz port in more recent times

Carlos Francisco de Adam y Brusoni, born in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on July 19, 1762, son of Juan de Adam, a native of the island of Skópelos (Greece) and María Ana Brusoni, from Genoa. Married to Manuela España, they had four children at their "military address" on La Marina street.

 

When he was 30 years old, as a frigate lieutenant, he replaced his father in the official job of Alcalde de Mar (Captain of the Port), becoming the first maritime authority in Tenerife. Since this position had been established in 1714, the year in which the Navy Administration was established, we believe that his father must have been the first to hold it.

 

The first relevant mission of his employment was to proceed with the embargo, unloading and storage of the goods and effects that were on board three English ships that were detained in the Santa Cruz roadstead, since on November 3, 1796, General Gutiérrez had signed and had an Edict proclaimed on the declaration of war that King Carlos IV had decreed as an obligatory consequence of the [Second] Treaty of San Ildefonso, signed between Spain and France, establishing an alliance, offensive and defensive, against the Kingdom of Great Britain, its vassals and possessions.

 

Likewise, on May 27, 1797, when the 38-gun English frigate Minerve and 32-gun Lively, under the command of Captain Benjamin Halowell, anchored out of range of the coastal batteries, they unfurled a white flag and put a boat into the water to go to the pier, Carlos de Adam, together with the captain of the Canarian Infantry Battalion Juan Greagh, went out to meet them in a launch to order them not to approach land and to state what their message was. As the English emissaries delivered a letter addressed to General Gutiérrez, in which they proposed the exchange of some Spanish prisoners, and in the British ships there were none to carry out the hypothetical exchange, Carlos de Adam reached the conclusion that such a manoeuvre only intended to recognize the port, locate its facilities and observe the ships anchored in its waters; among them, the French corvette La Mutine that days later would be stolen by the English.

 

During the battle against the English in 1797, commanded by Horacio Nelson, Carlos de Adam would remain in the Castillo de San Cristóbal forming part of the General Staff of General Gutiérrez, meeting in council together with the Royal Mayor, the King's lieutenant, heads of Artillery and Engineers, etc.

 

In the mentioned battle, he elaborated and put into practice the Plan of Violent Cannons [1], instructing in its handling the pilots and sailors of the ships anchored in the roadstead; he had the initiative to unload the 18 English boats that were stranded on the beach, after their occupants had disembarked; Take advantage of the darkness of the night to take weapons from the English and collaborate with Lieutenant Grandi in returning to service the battery located in the "hammer" of the dock, which the enemy had disabled. During this last action he received a severe contusion on his leg, having to be hospitalized.

 

But without a doubt, the most outstanding performance of Carlos Adam Brusoni, as the first Maritime Authority of the Island, was the interview that he had with Horacio Nelson on the morning of July 26, 1797 aboard the Theseus to inform him of the conditions of the Capitulation that had been signed by Captain Samuel Hood, before General Antonio Gutiérrez in the Castillo de San Cristóbal, and which were ratified by Captain Thomas Troubridge, second in command of the English, in which "the honours of war were granted to him", so that the British troops were re-embarked with their weapons and the prisoners returned; General Gutiérrez would agree to this on the condition that the British squadron undertook not to attack Tenerife or any of the other Canary Islands again.

 

General Gutiérrez, aware of the importance of ratifying the terms of the surrender by the Chief Rear Admiral of the enemy squadron, sent Carlos de Adam to the Theseus, accompanied by the captain of the English frigate, Emerald, Thomas Moutray Waller. In this meeting, Nelson would agree to deliver to Cádiz the report of his own defeat, so that a few days later the Spanish Court would have knowledge of the Gesta (Attempt) of July 25, 1797.

 

It is a pity that there is no documentary record of the moment of the interview of the young lieutenant of the Tenerife frigate with English rear admiral, held in Theseus' chamber, where he was convalescing from the amputation of his right arm, because he could have described the physical and psychological state in which Nelson was, as well as the atmosphere that was breathed in the flagship after the resounding disaster suffered by the British squadron. In any case, the young sailor from Tenerife, Carlos de Adam, had the high privilege of notifying the famous Rear Admiral Horacio Nelson of the Act of Capitulation of his troops and requesting from him the knowledge of its terms and conditions.

 

Honours denied

 

In the proposal for promotions that General Gutiérrez sent to the Secretary of War on August 3, 1797, he considered that Carlos de Adam y Brusoni was entitled to the rank of lieutenant of a ship, or failing that, he be granted economic compensation for the unique services provided during the Gesta of July 25.

 

As the ship in which his file was carried was attacked by pirates and would not reach its destination, years later, Adam Brusoni would personally request His Majesty that his participation in the Gesta be taken into account, accompanied by a certification from the Gentleman Administrator and Colonel of the Royal Artillery Corps and the Major Medical Surgeon of the Military Hospital of the Port, where he was admitted. The aforementioned request would also be rejected by the Ministry of War, applying a system of granting pensions.

 

Reincorporated into civilian life, Carlos de Adam would continue to serve the interests of his town and port as Mayor Guard and Visiting Lieutenant of the Real Renta del Tabaco. In 1804 he drew up the project plan for the cemetery of San Rafael and San Roque. Among his hobbies was music, since he played the clarinet. Carlos de Adam died in Santa Cruz de Tenerife on November 28, 1819, being buried in the cemetery of San Rafael and San Roque.

Carlos de Adam y Brusoni, único tinerfeño que habló con Nelson

 

[1] The “Violentos” were small calibre cannons - less than 75 millimetres - with a 60 cm tube and very light assembly so that they could be transported by arm. They fired “shrapnel canisters” that did quite a bit of damage at close range.

Parish of Santiago Apóstol in Los Realejos

Parroquia Matriz del Apóstol Santiago in Realejo Alto (Los Realejos)
Photo: Paweł "pbm" Szubert / Wikipedia, licencja: CC-BY-SA-3.0

July 25th is the Fiesta de Santiago Apóstol (Santiago el Mayor) - Saint James (Saint James the Great), the Patron Saint of Spain, a fiesta so important it has its own cake. :) In Santa Cruz, the date is somewhat dominated with the anniversary of that failed British attempt on the city; unsurprisingly, the town of Santiago del Teide celebrates Fiestas de Santiago Apóstol in the 2nd half of July, but in Los Realejos, the commemorations are some of the oldest on the island.

On July 25, 1496, the feast of Santiago Apóstol, the Realejo Camp was the scene of the surrender and baptism of the Guanches, incorporating the island of Tenerife into the Crown of Castile. The Fiesta de Santiago is one of the oldest festivities, and was recognized among the main ones in Realejo Alto, along with the festivities of the Cruz, San Isidro and Nuestra Señora de los Remedios.

The festivities dedicated to the Apostle Santiago have their origin in the years after the conquest, with the foundation of the temple dedicated in his honour in the Realejo de Arriba. The founding commemoration of Los Realejos, takes on a special charisma with the transfer of the banner of the town by the municipal corporation to the parish church, the solemn Eucharist gives way to the subsequent procession that runs through the main streets of Realejo Alto. 

The Parroquia Matriz del Apóstol Santiago (St James Church) was one of the first religious buildings in Tenerife in 1496, after the conquest was over. Taking into account the mentality of the time and the reasons that made conquering possible, it isn't surprising that Alonso Fernández de Lugo and his entourage decided to build a temple to Santiago Apóstol as a token of gratitude. 

This idea is supported by the participation in this conquering process of Gran Canarians from the present municipality of Gáldar, a population that, from its origins, was under the protection of the aforementioned saint and who, once established in this region of Taoro (former Guanche kingdom), immediately worked on setting up and running the sugar cane business. 

That July 25, 1496, the baptism of the nine Guanche menceyes who received Christian names took place, becoming a very basic community that would require, as such, a place to celebrate their new faith. Although the first records unfortunately disappeared in the 17th century, it is believed that immediately after the conquest there must already have been a physical place destined for Divine Worship, since in 1542, the Synods of Bishop Don Diego de Muros mention the donation of lands to the church of “… Santiago del Realejo de Arriba”.

The construction of the temple as it is preserved today lasted until the 17th century, since the 16th century building was in a dilapidated state at the beginning of that century. In 1604, the same master who had made the first stonework portal in 1570, was commissioned to dismantle what was renamed the "Old Church" and build the new one. The temple was declared a National Historical-Artistic Monument by Royal Decree 598/1983 of February 2, (B.O.E. Nº 69). 

Since 2014, Realejo Alto has had the denomination of historical complex.

Heroines of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Picture of Santa Cruz around the 18th century, the work of Víctor Ezquerro

During the defence of Santa Cruz against the siege by Nelson's troops in 1797, the water carriers played a fundamental role

In the history of Santa Cruz, several testimonies are collected that show the heroic behaviour of several women at crucial moments.

In the spring of 1656, Admiral Robert Blake left England in command of a powerful squadron with the mission of preventing maritime communications between Spain and America. Aware that a fleet of two galleons and nine merchant ships from Havana, under the command of Admiral Diego de Egues Viamont, was anchored in the port of Santa Cruz to repair a mast of the flagship ship, he set course for the island.

Warned of the arrival of 33 British ships, by a sailboat from Gran Canaria, they unloaded all the silver and deposited it in La Laguna, a place where they also sent the elderly, women and children so that they would be safe.

On the morning of April 30, 1657, more than 12,000 men located in the castles, batteries and the defensive wall, offered a glorious resistance to the English; but, as the enemies came to board the ships, Admiral Diego de Egues decided to burn them. After 10 hours of intense combat, the British squadron withdrew, taking in tow the dismantled Spanish ships where they believed the treasure remained.

In those years, the main castle of San Cristóbal was commanded by Don Fernando Guerra de Ayala and, as was usual for the governor of the fortress, his wife, Doña Hipólita Cibo Sopranis, lived there, who refused to go to a safe place, alleging that her presence in the Castle would not be completely useless; For this reason, without leaving the high platform of the fortress, under the shrapnel launched by the enemy ships, she collaborated with the soldiers by fetching ammunition, loading weapons, encouraging the artillerymen, comforting the wounded and bringing water to those who requested it.

As the illustrious Viera y Clavijo said, "because of her heroic behaviour that she had no right to demand of her, Doña Hipólita deserves a place among those who honor her gender."

For this victory, King Felipe IV (Philip IV of Spain) granted to the Coat of Arms of Santa Cruz the First Lion's Head, extracted from the English coat of arms.

On July 21, 1797, the lookout of the Anaga watchtower spotted a large English fleet on the horizon, under the command of Rear Admiral Horacio Nelson, made up of 9 ships with 2,000 men on board and 393 cannons, quickly raising the alarm to the San Cristobal castle.

With uproar in Santa Cruz, the Commander General of the Canary Islands, Antonio Gutiérrez, ordered the deployment of the existing military units and summoned the Militia Regiments of Garachico, La Orotava, La Laguna, Abona and Güímar, while at the same time, they sent to La Laguna, to be placed in a safe place, the elderly, women and children, along with documents, funds, valuable objects from the churches, etc.

In the early morning of the 22nd, the English tried to neutralize the Paso Alto fortress, a key point in the defence of the port, to then reach the castle of San Cristóbal, but the landing boats were detected by a peasant woman who was walking along the narrow coastal path from the San Andrés Valley to sell her products in the market. 

As mayor Domingo Vicente Marrero describes in his chronicle, upon noticing how a large number of landing craft approached our coast, accelerating its pace until it reached the gate of the Paso Alto castle, with shouting, and even throwing stones inside the enclosure, she alerted the garrison, frustrating this first attack attempt. The English, seeing that they no longer had the element of surprise, headed back towards their ships.

Two days later, on July 24, the English landed at El Bufadero and managed to reach the mountain known as Mesa del Ramonal, where the Spanish forces that were located in Paso Alto prevented their advance. Due to the fact that these soldiers and militiamen from Tenerife had to remain several days in this spot, without any shade where they could shelter from a blazing sun, it was necessary for someone to bring them water and food. A group of brave water carriers from Santa Cruz volunteered to climb the steep escarpments, bringing them water, fruit and food. The titanic effort made by these women to ascend the rugged slope, surely barefoot, loaded to the point of exhaustion, was under the scorching summer sun, and exposed to the fire of the attackers. Truly heroic behaviour of those women, because we have evidence that they took more than one trip.

The aguadoras (water carriers), a profession carried out by some women from Santa Cruz, who were in charge of carrying water containers on their heads, from the fountains of La Pila, in the Plaza de La Candelaria, or that of Morales, in the neighbourhood of El Cabo, to homes in the city, receiving remuneration in return.

Given the important mission that those humble women carried out in the society of their time, the City Council of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in the year 2000, paid them a well-deserved tribute next to the Santo Domingo stream, very close to the Guimerá Theater, with a sculpture by Medín Martín.

The Tertulia Amigos del 25 de Julio has also paid them a modest tribute to their courage and patriotism, raising a milestone at the entrance of the Yacht Club.

The capitulation of Horacio Nelson would suppose for the Shield of Santa Cruz its Third Lion's Head, extracted from the English coat of arms.

Heroínas en la historia de Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Tarta de Santiago (St. James Cake)

Tarta de Santiago

25 July is Día del Apóstol Santiago (St. James' Day) - the Patron Saint of Spain and of the City of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Tarta de Santiago (St. James Cake), is a delicious gluten and dairy free Spanish Almond Cake.

Ingredients:

250 grams of ground almonds
250 grams of white sugar
5 medium eggs
1 tablespoon of cinnamon
The zest of half a lemon
Icing sugar

Method:

Weigh the ingredients and put the almond, sugar, lemon zest, and cinnamon in a bowl. Mix well. Add the 5 eggs. Mix very well until everything is integrated.

Pour the dough into greased a mold or flan tin (approx 26 cm in diameter) and put it in the oven at 180 degrees for about 50 minutes, until evenly browned.

Once cooked, decorate with the Cross of St. James.

Download a template (PDF) of the Cross of St. James to decorate the tart. Print it off and cut it out. Place it on the cake and sprinkle with icing sugar. Remove the template carefully, so that the mark of the cross is left. (Via)

Receta para el Día del Apóstol: Tarta de Santiago

San Andrés Tower Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Torre de San Andrés (St Andrew's Tower) or Castle of San Andrés

Alonso Fernández de Lugo granted the Ibaute Valley to the naval captain Lope de Salazar for having helped him in the conquest of Tenerife in 1494. The Count changed the original Guanche name to Valle Salazar, building his house there and the first hermitage with the images of San Andrés and Santa Lucía.

 

To defend that area from pirates, in 1656 there was already a redoubt with two short-caliber pieces, around which a company of Canarian Militias, made up of some 40 residents of the valley between 16 and 60 years old, would gather on Sundays, to train in the handling of weapons.

 

As the construction of a fortress in this place was of vital importance, because it also defended the beach where the ships fleeing from the pirates took refuge, necessary to be able to approach the castles of Paso Alto and San Cristóbal, in 1693 the Count of the Valley of Salazar asked Carlos II (Charles II of Spain) to build a tower in that place.

 

In 1706, the Commander General Agustín de Robles y Lorenzana would order the engineer of S.M. Miguel Tiburcio Russell de Lugo that in the small cove formed by the Cercado and Las Huertas ravines, erect a circular barbette tower with stone ashlars, 16 meters in diameter and 5 meters high, with two vaults for the troops and capacity for 50 men. The entrance to the tower was made by a wooden drawbridge and to access it you had to climb three stone steps.

 

The five pieces of artillery were placed on its esplanade, made of lozas chasneras (tiles; a traditional element in Canarian construction), in which its parapet had no loopholes, no merlons, nor did it cover the artillerymen. The rainwater that fell on the aforementioned esplanade was poured into a cistern, capable of holding 18 pipes. The guardhouse was located to the south of the tower, about 11 meters away, where there was also a vaulted warehouse that held 100 quintals (a unit of weight equal to a hundredweight (112 lb) or, formerly, 100 lb) of gunpowder. It had a metal bell, with a wooden trap and iron clamps, with which the alarm signal was given to the residents.

The tower suffered major damage in 1740, caused by the rise of the aforementioned ravines, although the damage caused was repaired the following year. In 1769 the Military Engineer Alfonso Sánchez Ochando would rebuild it again giving it the final dimensions, 17.6 meters in diameter and a height of 8.4 meters. Armed with six 24-gauge cannons, two 16-gauge cannons, 1 12-gauge mortar and one 9-gauge mortar, it was manned by 1 officer, 1 sergeant, 2 corporals and 13 artillerymen. Its first keeper, appointed in August 1741, was don Salvador Agustín de Vera.

 

Its role in the Gesta

 

The most notable action in which the artillerymen of the Torre de San Andrés participated, led by Lieutenant José Feo de Armas, was on Tuesday, July 25, 1797, after the English had collected the survivors of their frustrated expedition and Nelson had signed the Act of Capitulation.

 

Due to the prevailing wind, the HMS Theseus (1786) was forced to cut the bow anchor cable, since it was 42 fathoms deep, being drifted by sea currents towards San Andrés, where it came under fire from the Torre's cannons.

 

Then, Lieutenant José Feo, unaware of the surrender of the English, since they were very far from the main castle, directed the fire against them, hitting the rigging of the Thesseus, which was quickly joined by a frigate and a boat, launching several bombs on the tower that did not cause appreciable damage, while the frigate did suffer damage in one sail and the bomber received a direct hit on the bow that almost capsized it, having to be towed alongside the ship, disappearing from the scene.

 

When General Gutiérrez heard about the cannonade, he urgently sent Lieutenant Sierra and Gaspar Fuente to order a ceasefire.

 

The deplorable state in which the fortress was found on that date is noteworthy, since of the four cannons it possessed, the two 24-gauge ones were useless because the axis of the gun carriages had broken, and of the two 16-gauge cannons, only one was useful because the other had given up its axis.

 

Such was the speed with which the firings were made from the tower, one of the cannons burst and took the life of Vicente Talavera, a veteran artillery militiaman, a carpenter by profession. Ironically, the cannon was called Assassin.

 

State of ruin

 

The tower was declared in ruins after the overflow of the Cercado and Las Huertas ravines, which occurred on October 30, 1893 and March 6, 1894; therefore, by order dated June 14, 1894 it was sold at public auction for a value of 1,083.23 pesetas, the valuation made by the master builder Domingo Pisaca, but the sale would not take place because another flood, which occurred on October 28, 1898, would finish collapsing it, leaving it as it is today.

Finally, on January 2, 1924, it was declared inadequate for the needs of the Army, being delivered to the City Council on January 15, 1926.

 

Between the years 1950 and 1970 it was used as a jail for the City Council and, years later, as a municipal warehouse for the various objects and utensils that were used in the urban maintenance of San Andrés.

Bienes de Interés Cultural en Santa Cruz de Tenerife (27). Torre de San Andrés

San Juan Castle in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Castle of St John the Baptist or Black Castle (Castillo Negro)

Declared Historic Artistic Monument by Decree of April 22, 1949 and BIC (Bien de Interés Cultural "good of cultural interest") by Decree of May 12, 2003.

The military engineer Leonardo Torriani, sent by Felipe II (Philip II of Spain) to carry out a study of the defences of the port of Santa Cruz in 1587, considered that the castle of San Cristóbal should be flanked by two other castles - Paso Alto and San Juan - so they covered the entire coast and prevented any landing.

His proposal to build a castle in Caleta de Negros would be delayed, however, until, in 1640, when the Catalan Revolt and the Portuguese Restoration War forced Captain General Luís Fernández de Córdoba y Arce to request the Cabildo de Tenerife's collaboration to carry it out, so that, in the session held on November 30 of that year, the aldermen agreed to build a castle in Caleta de Negros, bordering the Lazaretto. In order to carry out the works, the salaries of some officials and the expenses of religious festivals had to be reduced.

The castle, which began to be built in 1641 and completed three years later, was formed by a circular stonework tower completely terraced towards the sea, where the battlements were. The rooms for the soldiers were aligned on the land side, as was the powder store. Access to the castle was via a stone bridge, separated from the tower walls by a wooden drawbridge. In 1684 King Carlos II (Charles II of Spain) granted the Cabildo the privilege of being able to name the castle.

The Castle would have to be rebuilt in 1765, due to the threat of ruin produced by the continuous pounding of the sea. The works, carried out according to the project of the Canarian fortification engineer Alejandro de los Ángeles, consisted of a circular tower with walls of basalt stonework and masonry 2.5 meters thick, 30 meters in diameter and 8 meters high. The front was defended by a masonry wall with a wooden stockade, a small moat and a wooden drawbridge.

On its open esplanade, located on the roof which was accessed by a masonry staircase, parapets were built, two sentry boxes for surveillance and five 24-gauge cannons, two 16-gauge cannons and a 1-gauge mortar were placed. The area facing the sea was reserved for an artillery platform.

The garrison, made up of an officer, a sergeant, a corporal and ten soldiers, although in case of war it could be increased to a hundred, had its accommodation in two 47-square-meter vaulted rooms located under the aforementioned esplanade, to the ​​land side, communicated by a corridor. 

Spares and ammunition were stored in two rooms similar to the previous ones, but measuring 12 square metres.

In the aforementioned works, a large number of workers from Tenerife would be employed, directed by the famous Master stonemason Juan Lizcano. The wood was brought from the mountains of La Matanza de Acentejo and the lime stone came from the island of La Graciosa.

This castle would not have the opportunity to intervene during the Gesta of July 25, 1797, since it only fired four cannon shots to dissuade the English boats that tried to disembark at the mouth of the Santos ravine; however, its garrison had been reinforced with 30 French soldiers from the corvette La Mutine, which two months earlier had been stolen by the English in our port.

The castle was called San Juan, although it is commonly known as Castillo Negro (Black Castle). Some historians consider that this name is due to the dark tone of the volcanic stone with which it is built, while others estimate that it corresponds to the name of the cove in which it was built (Caleta de Negros).

The Castle of San Juan was declared unsuitable for the services of the Army on January 2, 1924, although it would not be disposed of until 1948, the year in which it was transferred to the Cabildo de Tenerife, who would proceed to restore it in order to install the Military Museum of Tenerife, a subsidiary of the Army Museum. Although the patronage of the aforementioned Museum was established, the project would not prosper due to the distance from the city.

The Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council restored it in 1982 and maintains it in a good state of conservation, although it remains closed to the public. The Castillo de San Juan or Castillo Negro, the third most important fortress that the Santa Cruz marina had, is the only one that remains intact.

BIC.- XXVI Castillo de San Juan

July 4 Independence Day: The Canary Islands' role in the colonization of North America

Map of North America

During his tenure as governor of Spanish Louisiana, Bernardo de Gálvez promoted the creation of five foundations in the four cardinal points around New Orleans, the capital of Louisiana, for military reasons to defend the city and the war he was waging against the British troops from West Louisiana and Florida. Between 1777 and 1783, when Spain occupied this territory, it was decided, by Madrid, to ensure - through colonization - control over a conflictive area highly coveted for its natural resources and strategic location, for which the Spanish administration used the population of the Canary Islands.

In those years, 4,312 people left the Canary Islands for New Orleans, although only half managed to arrive, since numerous desertions were recorded when the expeditions touched in Cuba, especially from 1779, with the declaration of war against England.

Once they arrived in Louisiana, the Canarian emigrants were settled in four points or population centres around New Orleans: San Bernardo, near New Orleans; Barataria, across the Mississippi; Galveztown at the confluence of the Amite River, and Valenzuela, on the Lafourche bayou.

Barataria and Galveztown failed in a short period of time, the first as a result of two almost consecutive hurricanes (in 1779 and 1780), and the other two were practically uninhabited in a short time, due to the poor living conditions, its climatology, floods, famines and abandonment by the Louisiana Government, which did not provide goods, food and protection to these foundations.

Only a part could survive concentrated in the current Canarian colony of Saint Bernard's Parish, on the coast of New Orleans. New Iberia, also recently founded, suffered a hurricane and another location was sought in the Bayú Teche, a tributary of the Mississippi, but its inhabitants, mixed with the French-speaking population, remained in the region and the city exists today.

La Concepción, was later renamed as the Parish of San Bernardo. Of the four, only this one survives, the current epicentre of the descendants of Canary Islanders in Louisiana, where the Los Islenos Museum & Village is located.

Although Louisiana ceased to be a Spanish colony in 1803, the Spanish of the Canary Islands have remained to this day, although in an increasingly scarce form and in danger of extinction. This survival is due not only to the isolation of the main settlement, San Bernardo, but also to the successive waves of emigrants from both the Canary Islands and the Peninsula or even Cuba.

Created by two Canarians, photographer Aníbal Martel and Harvard University researcher Thenesoya V. Martín De la Nuez, CISLANDERUS is the first cultural project dedicated to discovering the community of Canarian descendants in the United States. Today the descendants of these emigrants strive to preserve their culture and language, speaking Spanish from the Canary Islands.

4 de Julio Día de la Independencia Norteamericana: El papel de la colonización Canaria

The Derrame del Vino (Wine Mutiny)

Monument to the Wine Mutiny - Statue depicting the Derrame del Vino in Garachico

The Derrame del Vino, known as the “Wine Spill”, is an event that took place on the night of July 3rd, 1666, when local wine producers poured gallons of Malmsey wine down the drain in Garachico in protest over ruinous prices driven by the British monopoly of the sector. There's even a statue to celebrate putting those dastardly Brits in their place. See it along the sea front road in the town. 

Portugal's independence from Castile; Charles II's marriage to Catherine of Braganza, which favoured trade with Madeira at the Canary Islands' cost; as well as the creation, in 1665, in London of The Canary Company (sister company to the famous East India Company), establishing a British monopoly over the Canarian wine trade in England, are all events that conspired to to provoke this reaction in Tenerife. The short-lived Canary Company was disolved in 1667.

Malvasia (Malmsey, known as "Canary" in Elizabethan England), a sweet fortified wine made on the islands since the 15th century, was the drink of choice on the British Isles for aristocrats, writers and merchants for more than 150 years, until the trade suddenly ended in the 1680s. This wine was exported through the north Tenerife port of Garachico and a rebellion, called the "Derrame del Vino" (Wine Rebellion) took place in that town on the night of July 3, 1666, in protest against the abusive policies of the British monopoly in the trade. On that night, around 300 to 400 masked men broke down the doors of the bodegas and destroyed the barrels, spilling the wine - rather than sell it for low prices - and causing "one of the strangest floods in world history", wrote historian, José de Viera y Clavijo.

In 2006, it was reported that Canarian Malmsey was set to make a comeback after 300 years, as "the government of the the sun-kissed Spanish outpost, is hoping to resurrect the fortunes of a wine whose qualities were once lauded by Shakespeare and reputedly drowned the brother of a medieval English king."

Tenerife in July 2022

Reenactors recreate the Gesta del 25 de julio

There are no public holidays in the month, but a few local holidays:

• 12 July: Festivity of the Virgen del Carmen in Puerto de la Cruz
• 25 July: Festivity of Santiago Apóstol in Santiago del Teide
• 26 July: Festivity of Santa Ana in Candelaria and Santiago del Teide

July 3rd is the Anniversary of the Derrame del vino, when local wine producers poured gallons of Malmsey wine down the drain in Garachico in protest over ruinous prices driven by the British monopoly of the sector.

The Grandes Fiestas de Julio (Great July Festivities) are back after hiatus in Puerto de la Cruz and we bring you a preview of the most important events. These began on June 29th with an inauguration and presentation of candidates for the Queen of the Festivities, who will be elected at the Gala on Thursday, 7 July.

On Friday, 8 July there will be an Opening Parade to the Festivities.

On Saturday, 9 July is the ticket-only Dinner and  Costume Country Dance.

Sunday, 10 July sees the Mass and Procession of the Gran Poder de Dios.

With a further Procession of the Gran Poder de Dios (Great Power of God) on Monday, 11 July, and in the evening the Sardinada (Sardine Cook Out) - this will involve sardine based street food and, undoubtedly, entertainments.

The big day of these festivities is Tuesday, 12 July, Día de la Virgen del Carmen (The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel) - for the Embarcación de Nuestra Señora del Carmen y San Telmo (Embarkation of Our Lady of Carmen and San Telmo), a procession in boats that draws crowds of tens of thousands to the area around the Old Fishing Port and involves a lot of them getting wet.

It was 1921 when the parish of Nuestra Señora de la Peña de Francia decided to celebrate in this way. The first maritime procession of the Virgen del Carmen was held on July 12, 1921, but last year it was not held for its centenary, because of the pandemic, so this will be a much awaited and very special edition.

The Virgen del Carmen is the patron saint of fishermen, and is celebrated in many municipalities of Tenerife, but it is in Puerto de la Cruz where it reaches its peak.

The images are carried in procession by the fishermen, from their hermitage to the small beach of the fishing pier. There they are embarked and processed along the coast. For most of the fishermen, this is a long-awaited day, in which they sing to the Virgin the “Salve Reina de los Mares” (Save the Queen of the Seas).

It all starts in the early hours of the morning, when the pier fills with visitors, and after mass, is the Chocolatada, where chocolates are distributed to start the festivities. When the Virgin is taken to the shores of the sea, the onlookers try to enter the water to wet her with the salt water. Later the Virgin leaves in procession through the streets of Puerto de la Cruz. At the end, a great firework display is made and the images return to their respective churches.

On Saturday, 16 July, there is a Procession of Nuestra Señora del Carmen.

And on Sunday, 17 July, the Embarcación chiquita (Little Embarkation).

Fiestas y Patrimonio Histórico Artístico de Puerto de la Cruz | La multitudinaria procesión y embarque de la “Virgen del Carmen y de San Telmo” en Puerto de la Cruz será este martes

The Canarias Jazz & Más Festival will offer more than 60 concerts in 26 spaces on the eight islands between July 1 and 24, 2022. The figures leave no room for doubt: more than 60 concerts distributed in 26 spaces on the eight islands make up the offer of the 31st Festival Internacional Canarias Jazz & Más, in which 35 musical projects will participate, 14 of them conceived in the Archipelago. Nearly 200 musicians will travel between July 1 and 24 for this cultural meeting, which once again has the support of the Government of the Canary Islands through the Vice-Ministry of Culture and Heritage.

Marcus Miller, winner of two Grammys; Gregory Porter, who adds two other awards; and the San Francisco Jazz Collective (SFJAZZ Collective) project, directed by saxophonist Chris Potter, also winner of a Grammy, will be some of the main attractions of the program, presented today at a press conference at the Espacio La Granja in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

El Festival Canarias Jazz & Más ofrecerá más de 60 conciertos en 26 espacios de las ocho islas

Back after the inevitable hiatus, is the 20th edition of the Day of Traditions in Chirche, the main events of which take place on Sunday, 10 July 2022. Starting from 10 am visitors to the village will be offered the opportunity to immerse in a scenario of daily life of the 40s. The local residents, dressed in the clothes of that time, perform the activities of those years while recalling old trades, for example, you can see how the wheat was toasted and how the fretwork or basketry was made, as well as enter the workshop of a seamstress of yesteryear. You will also have the opportunity to buy artisanal products, such as pastries, liqueurs, honey, bags, fruits and baskets. There's free transport from 9:30 am, every half hour, from the Guardia Civil Barracks in Guía de Isora until 4:00 p.m.

Chirche is located at an altitude of 800 meters, 5 minutes from Guía de Isora. It is a quiet and picturesque farming community, ideal for observing examples of typical Canarian architecture. This hamlet is of Guanche origin (known thanks to the archaeological traces that are still preserved), but its history as a town itself dates back to the second half of the 17th century. It is not known exactly in which years the houses were built, although most of them are from the 18th and 19th centuries. In 1737, the hamlet appears in records cited with 17 dwellings (85 inhabitants) dedicated to sowing and grazing, having developed from farming sponsored by the lords of the Santiago Valley. In the 19th century there was a new development with the cultivation of prickly pears for cochineal, thus in 1865 it appears recorded with 161 inhabitants. Thanks to the conservation of these houses and the rich ethnographic heritage it possesses, Chirche was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 2008.

On Sunday 10 July - always the second Sunday of the said month - the Romería Regional de San Benito Abad takes place in La Laguna. This is the only Romería that is denominated Regional and is declared of tourist interest, so is one of the most important and is considered as the most representative of the Canary Islands. It is held in honour of San Benito Abad (St. Benedict of Nursia), the patron saint of farmers of Tenerife. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Pilgrimage.

The 75th edition of the Regional Pilgrimage of San Benito Abad will premiere, on July 10, a remodelled route, which "is similar because it runs through the historic streets of the municipality, but we reduce the turns with both the beginning and the end at the Church of San Benito, Pl. San Benito, 1, 38202 La Laguna. 

The San Benito Abad 2022 festivities are already underway: The program officially started on Thursday, 30 June, with the reading of the proclamation. The program of events for one of the major events on the Laguna festival calendar, in which there are around thirty popular events that will last until July 17.

Religious events and activities of a cultural, recreational, folklore, gastronomic and livestock nature will take place, without forgetting sports events and events especially for children. Outstanding items include the election gala for the Romera Mayor de las Fiestas (July 2), the fourth Pedro Molina Memorial (on the 5th, with a recognition of traditional trades and a tribute to Pepe Rojas), or the Ocho Islands Festival (on the 9th, with artists representing all the islands of the Archipelago). The traditional country dance will be held on the evening of Friday, July 8, which in a few hours sold out the reservations for the 450 tables. 

On the big day of the festivities, Sunday the 10th, the Regional Pilgrimage changes its route, due to the works on San Agustín street. The delegation will leave at noon from the hermitage of San Benito, through Marqués de Celada streets, Doctor Olivera square, and Herradores, Viana, Obispo Rey Redondo and Adelantado streets, returning through Marqués de Celada to the starting point.

As a novelty, on Sunday the 17th, the image of San Benito will make an extraordinary procession, visiting the San Diego neighbourhood and the Livestock Fair, where the cattle will be blessed. The entourage will be accompanied by ceremonial dances, the drumbeat of the tajaraste, and a boat.

Alongside, a Ruta de la Tapa returns to La Laguna for the Fiestas de San Benito with 40 gastronomic proposals. The XIV edition recovers its usual date after the pandemic and maintains prices of 3.50 euros per cover and drink.

La Laguna presenta el programa de las fiestas de San Benito Abad | La 75 romería de San Benito estrenará un recorrido “más coherente”

The city of La Laguna hosts on Thursday, July 14, starting at 7:00 p.m., its traditional Noche de los Burros (Night of the Donkeys), an event dedicated to this animal that in past times was fundamental in agricultural tasks and transportation and that constitutes one of the the most anticipated events, especially by the children, within the Festivities in honour of San Benito Abad. The Romería de los Burros (Pilgrimage of the Donkeys), as this parade is also known, in which more than 40 donkeys, mules and ponies from different parts of Tenerife will participate, will start from the Plaza del Adelantado to the Plaza de San Benito and will be accompanied by a fanfare and various folk groups.

La Ciudad de los Adelantados celebra hoy la Noche de los Burros

The Council of Granadilla de Abona, through the Employment and Local Development Agency (AEDL), has organised on Friday, July 15, a Día del Pescador (Fisherman's Day) in Los Abrigos, in collaboration with the Regulatory Council of the Abona Denomination of Origin and the San Blas and Virgen del Carmen Cultural Association, in the surroundings of the pier and fish market.

El Día del Pescador se celebra con talleres, presentaciones y muestras gastronómicas en Los Abrigos

The Livestock Fair of La Laguna returns as part of the San Benito festivities. An important date, which reaches its 43rd edition after two years without being able to meet due to the pandemic. Despite this parenthesis, the commitment of the City Council of La Laguna with the livestock sector has remained firm during this time, through direct subsidies and aid to native breeds to face the consequences of the pandemic and maintain activity. A commitment that leads us to promote this Fair with a larger budget and more activities for all audiences, showing the potential of the livestock sector for sustainable and high quality food production.

There are various activities in the program (PDF) over three days, but the Livestock or Cattle Fair takes place on Sunday, 17 July 2022 at the Casa del Ganadero, 38206, Av. de San Diego, 74, 38208 La Laguna. The animals will arrive between 7 and 10 am and the participation of about 200 heads of cattle and 400 sheep, goats, horses and donkeys, are expected. 

Activities throughout the day, include: tasting of various examples of Tenerife honey, a goat milking contest, Arrastre de Ganado (pairs of oxen pulling loads), tasting of extra virgin olive oils from the Canary Islands and artisan breads; tasting of craft beers along with artisan cheeses and beauty contest for crossbred horses.

Fería Ganadera de La Laguna

More exciting rally action as the XXII Subida a San Miguel de Abona (22nd San Miguel de Abona Hillclimb), will be held on July 22 and 23. After the last edition was held in 2019, the Escudería Motor Abona returns again with engines ready, for this event. As the organizing committee of the Motor Abona team already commented, they are working non-stop, with great desire and enthusiasm.

The biggest events in any July are:

• The Romería Regional de San Benito Abad in La Laguna, which is usually held on the second Sunday of July each year.
• Also on the second Sunday of July, the Day of Traditions in Chirche.
• The Embarkation of the Virgen del Carmen in Puerto de la Cruz, on the Tuesday prior to 16 July - this year on Tuesday 12 July. 
• 25 July is the anniversary of the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1797) and the city celebrates its victory over Horatio Nelson.

This year there is an ample program of events to Commemorate the 225th Anniversary of the Gesta de 25 de Julio (25th July Attempt) - the infamous failed British attempt on Santa Cruz, otherwise known as the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (1797) - the only battle that Horatio Nelson ever lost and the one in which he lost his arm. Hero of the day for the locals was Commander-General Antonio Gutiérrez de Otero y Santayana who defended the island and, in gentlemanly manner, allowed the British to leave with their weapons and war honours.

And, like so many events, this was unable to take place during the pandemic, so it will be unmissable being back after two years and a significant anniversary.

The commemorative events began on the 13th with conferences, workshops and exhibitions. On Friday, 22 July 2022, a camp will be set up at the Alameda del Duque de Santa Elena (Plaza de España), from where the soldiers will parade, at 8 pm, to the Castillo Negro (Castle of St John the Baptist), where at 9 pm, the Recreation of the landing of the British Troops and Battle will be performed. 

The encampment will remain during Saturday, 23 July 2022, where there will be live recreations of life in an encampment of the period with workshops, and from 8:30 pm, there will be recreations of the principle combats in the Alameda del Duque de Santa Elena, Barranco de Santos, La Noria, Plaza de Santo Domingo, Plaza Isla de la Madera and Plaza de Candelaria, among other locations.

At midday on Sunday, 24 July 2022, there will be the recreation of the surrender, act of homage to the fallen and withdrawal of the troops.

On Monday, 25 July 2022, at 1 pm at the Real Club Náutico de Tenerife will be an act of homage to the British fallen by the Nelson Society, then at 7 pm the religious act of Commemoration of the 225th Anniversary at the Iglesia de la Concepción (Santa Cruz de Tenerife), followed by a procession from 8 pm and floral offerings, including at the monument to General Gutiérrez.

Via: Tertulia Amigos del 25 de Julio

The long-awaited 'Sensaciones Sabores de Verano' (Summer Flavour Sensations) is scheduled for Friday, July 29, in the Plaza de El Médano, where there will be various workshops and complementary activities and will feature local restaurants and wineries of the Regulatory Council of the Abona Denomination of Origin, and music. Crafts, agriculture, samples and tastings will all add up to one of the most interesting events of Sansofé and an essential highlight of the gastronomic calendar of the Canary Islands.

Granadilla de Abona retoma la celebración de los populares eventos gastronómicos de ‘Sensaciones’

The eighth edition of the Rallye Ciudad de La Laguna (City of La Laguna Rally) is taking place on Saturday, 30 July 2022. (The 7th edition had to be postponed to December, due to a resurgence in COVID cases, so it's been a relatively short wait.) 

Organisers, Sport Eventos Tenerife, have announced the route for the VIII Rallye Ciudad de La Laguna-Worten Trophy. With two days of competition, the action begins on Friday, July 29 with a double pass of the ‘El Boquerón-Valle Guerra section (7.30 km at 9:03 p.m. and 11:31 p.m.). The next day, 'Los Loros' will be the stage with its 14.18 km (09:03, 13:12 and 17:21 hours), while the rest of the route is made up of the 'La Barranquera' specials (7, 18 km at 10:06 and 14:15 hours) and 'Los Valles-Los Campitos' (8.35 km at 10:54 –TC+- and 15:03 hours). It will be almost 90 km timed, with arrival at around 6:30 p.m. in the Plaza de la Concepción.

Avance VIII Rallye Ciudad de La Laguna-Trofeo Worten

Virgen del Carmen 2019 Puerto de La Cruz Tenerife