The Crosses of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Procesión de la Santa Cruz Fundacional Photo Jose Mesa Some Rights Reserved 

The official chronicler recalls the history of some of the oldest symbols of the capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz (Holy Cross), which was founded in May of 1494. 

Cruz De La Fundación (Foundation Cross)

Foundation Cross in the Iglesia de la Concepción in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Koppchen / CC BY

Santa Cruz (Holy Cross) received it's name on May 3, 1494, after the Adelantado (governor of the region) Alonso Fernández de Lugo nailed a wooden cross to Añazo (the native name for the area) beach to celebrate the mass of thanksgiving for the foundation of the place and port of Santa Cruz.

There, close to the seashore, at the source of the Plaza de la Iglesia, the cross would endure rain, sun and sea until, in 1745, the then mayor asked the bishop for permission to enthrone it in a chapel that he had built in the Placeta de la Cruz, called the Santo Sudario (Holy Shroud). [Sudar means 'to sweat': is this where we get the word sweatshirt from and is a hoodie an 'unholy shroud' therefore?]

In 1794, however, the bishop allowed the demolition of the aforementioned chapel for the expansion of the slaughterhouse, whose income belonged to the parish, so the cross was placed next to the door of the hermitage of San Telmo until, in 1850, the Dominican friar Lorenzo Siverio, valuing what that ancient symbol represented, transferred it to the chapel of the Hospital de Nuestra Señora de Los Desamparados - Hospital Civil (now Museum of Nature and Archeology).

Map of Santa Cruz in 1701 shows the then location of the Foundation Cross

The inhabitants of Santa Cruz would not begin to feel great interest in the founding symbol until 1871, when then mayor, Emilio Serra y Ruz, had to initiate procedures so that its municipal ownership was recognised, since the parish didn't recognise the claims of the City Council; the Marina authorities alleged that it belonged to them, as San Telmo was the hermitage of the sailors; and the City Council of La Laguna also claimed it, claiming that it should be in its town hall, next to the civic banner, as it is a fundamental piece in the history of the island. Finally, on April 19, 1873, the Permanent Commission of the Deputation Provincial decided that the Cruz de la Conquista (Cross of the Conquest) belonged, in fact and by right, to the Municipality of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

In 1892, seeing the lamentable state in which the venerated relic was found, the City Council agreed that it should be embedded in good wood and inserted into a reliquary of wood, nickel and glass, and that the coat of arms should be embossed on its upper part. Since then, its festivity began to be given an institutional character, and it remains in the Mother Church of La Concepción.

Cruz De Montañés (Montañés' Cross)

The Cruz de Montañés in the Plaza de la Pila (now Plaza de la Candelaria) in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

As Santa Cruz didn't then have a symbol by which it was known, Bartolomé Antonio Méndez Montañés, one of the most important merchants and shipping companies of the town at the time, commissioned, in 1759, the workshop of Salvador de Alcaraz y Valdés, of Malaga, a marble cross that worthily symbolized the name of the town and port.

The cross was placed in the upper part of the Plaza de la Pila (La Candelaria), on a tiered pedestal of the same material. At its base it read: “At the devotion and expense of Mr. Bartolomé Antonio Montañés, captain of strangers and trustee-representative of this port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Year of 1759 ”.

When the remodeling of the aforementioned plaza, then called La Constitución, was carried out in 1929, the marble cross was transferred to the Plaza de San Telmo, in the El Cabo neighborhood. With the opening of Calle Bravo Murillo and the consequent disappearance of Plaza de San Telmo, this sacred symbol would end up in its current location, next to the parish church of La Concepción, in the Plaza de la Iglesia, in a landscaped space, surrounded by a metal fence. There are those who consider that the Cruz de Montañés should return to its original place, in the Plaza de la Candelaria.

Cruz De San Agustín (Saint Augustin's Cross)

The Augustinian friars who accompanied the Castilians in 1494, established a hospice on the outskirts of the town, current Puerta Canseco and San Francisco de Paula streets, moving in 1744 to a wasteland in Toscal, located on the Camino Real that went to Paso Alto, where they founded a hospice, placing a large wooden cross on its facade to mark it.

What in principle was a humble foundation, soon acquired some relevance, receiving the support of the residents; for this reason, when in 1767 a Royal Provision abolished the hospice and the friars left for the convent that the Order had in La Laguna, the Cross was kept in a nearby place, being known as the Cruz de San Agustín neighborhood, where its residents on May 2 and 3, organized a very popular popular festival in which there were dances and nougat stands.

In 1908, the historian Felipe Miguel Poggi y Borsotto, on behalf of the neighborhood commission, asked the City Council to transfer a small plot to build a sanctuary for the Cruz de San Agustín, but the Commander of Engineers, Tomás Clavijo y Castillo, who had built his house on the site resulting from the demolition of the hospice, opposed it, because the said chapel would take away his enviable view of the bay.

When the Rodríguez López family built their mansion in the current street of La Marina nº 57, the cross went to the municipal warehouses, from where it was rescued by the Luz y Vida Association, in the neighborhood of El Toscal, and placed in a beautiful garden, very close to its original location, located at the confluence of the streets of La Marina and San Francisco, overlooking the gazebo of the architect Marrero Regalado.

La capital restaura la Cruz de San Agustín, en El Toscal (Image of the San Augustine Cross)

Cruz Verde (Green Cross)

Another historic cross survives in the city, which gives its name to Calle de la Cruz Verde, also known as Calle de las Tiendas (Street of the Shops), because in the 17th and 18th centuries it brought together most of Santa Cruz's commerce. Although this cross is related to Nelson's attack in 1797, since in that area fierce street fights took place in which the Tenerife militiamen harassed the English troops who had managed to disembark and were forced to take refuge in the nearby Dominican convent of La Consolación, current Guimerá Theater, and when the civic procession of July 25 arrived in front of the cross, the councilor who carried the banner of the City Council bowed in memory of the Tenerife defenders killed in that attempt, it is documented that in 1761 there was already a green cross, whose origin could be related to the stops that were made during the Via Crucis on Good Friday, between the parish of Our Lady of La Concepción and the church of San Francisco. The aforementioned wooden cross, painted green, was replaced by a marble one.

Tram stop at Cruz del Señor. Image: Josemarear / CC BY

Cruz Del Señor (The Lord's Cross)

At the confluence of the roads of San Sebastián (current Avenida de Bélgica) and the La Laguna road (Avda. Islas Canarias), in 1754 a cross was placed as a resting place for the funeral processions on their way to the cemetery, as it was customary that the coffin be carried on the shoulders from the deceased's home. It allowed time to say a prayer as well as to catch the breath and regain strength to continue the journey. In 1940, when the parish was created, the popular devotion to this humble cross was so strong in the neighborhood that the name prevailed over the official one of Santa Cruz and, it became the church of the Cruz del Señor (Cross of the Lord), in remembrance of it's origin.

Cruz De Santiago (St James' Cross)

Coat of Arms of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Image: Heralder / CC BY-SA

On the shield of the Muy Noble, Leal e Invicta Villa, Puerto y Plaza de Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife (Very Noble, Loyal and Invicta Villa, Port and Place of Santa Cruz de Santiago de Tenerife - to give the city it's full title), awarded by Real Cédula on August 28, 1803, the red insignia of the Order of Santiago that appears behind the Founding cross, and that crosses the third lion's head, is due to the fact that on the day of the Apostle's festival, July 25, 1797, the English invaders under the command of Horacio Nelson were defeated by the Tenerife militias, Santiago being named compatron of this city.

As the Apostle is also the patron saint of the Cavalry, in 1968, the Captain of the Corps, Fernando Zerolo Davidson, had the initiative of making an 8-meter-tall Santiago Cross, made of galvanized steel and surrounded by a luminous thread, placing it on the high cliff, on the La Montaña de Altura de Paso Alto (Paso Alto mountain) in the Barrio de la Alegría. The monument was made and assembled by the soldiers who were taking the Professional Promotion course at the Regiment of Engineers in La Cuesta. The Port Authority of Santa Cruz de Tenerife is in charge of carrying out its maintenance, and thanks to its lighting, residents and walkers can remember this historical legacy of the Tenerife capital and it is a reference to the passengers of the ships that visit.

Las cruces de Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Santa Cruz de Tenerife north dock with the Montaña de Paso Alto (right).
Image: CARLOS TEIXIDOR CADENAS / CC BY-SA

Tenerife in May 2020

Previous May Fiestas and Floral Crosses in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

May in Tenerife starts and ends with public holidays. Friday 1 May 2020 is Fiesta del Trabajo (Workers’ Day) and Saturday 30 May 2020 is Día de Canarias (Canaries Day), which is the anniversary of the first session of the Canary Islands' Parliament after the return of democracy in Spain, this year without celebrations.

Join in with the "Virtual Country Dance" taking place from people's homes on Saturday 2 May to celebrate the Fiestas de Mayo in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.

May 3 Día de la Cruz (Festival of the Crosses), in Santa Cruz, which also marks the founding of the city on that date in 1494, however, Santa Cruz de Tenerife council has announced that they have cancelled the events of Fiestas de la Cruz, with celebrations from balconies and homes being the only option this year.

Likewise, the Fiestas of the Crosses and Fireworks - the battle between the streets of El Sol and El Medio - that usually takes place on 3 May in Los Realejos, has been cancelled, due to the public health crisis, for the first time since 1976.

Puerto de la Cruz has also cancelled its Fiestas de la Cruz, usually celebrated on 3 May. This year it is 369 years, since 3 May 1651, when the city was able to appoint its own mayor, having been part of La Orotava until that time.

Arona too has taken the decision to cancel all festivities for the month of May.

Sunday 3 May is also Día de la Madre (Mother's Day).

May 5th is the anniversary of the eruption that destroyed Garachico's port.

One municipal holiday in San Isidro Labrador on 15 May in Santiago del Teide.

Also in Puerto de la Cruz, the celebration of the 'Canarian May', which was due to take place coinciding with Canary Islands Day on May 30, is also cancelled.


Cruces de flores (Santa Cruz de tenerife) 3 de mayo del 2018

Huevos a la inglesa (English-style Eggs)

Huevos a la inglesa (English-style Eggs)

We've had Arroz a la Cubana (Cuban Rice) the famous Canarian dish that no Cuban seems to have heard of and now, we present Huevos a la inglesa (English-style Eggs). Well, "eggs as cooked by an English girl", would be a more full and accurate translation. If you're an English girl, have you ever heard of this? No, me neither. Curious, isn't it? "English-style eggs take us into history", we are told. And indeed, we do "all know that Francis Drake, Hawkins and Nelson, among others, could not conquer this archipelago of Malvasías wines - so praised by William Shakespeare. In reality, the English always wanted to dominate the Canary Islands, but they failed in their attempt." [Until tourism, perhaps.]

Then we're told that this is "a very typical dish in Santa Cruz de Tenerife." The Los Troncos restaurant apparently have a classic, flagship, recipe. Likewise, in Malela, where they make it with their own variations. This dish consists of hard-boiled eggs stuffed with mayonnaise (tuna optional), accompanied by some fries and topped with a good tomato sauce. Finally, sprinkle with the hard-boiled egg yolk." "Can you imagine Nelson and his mates strolling through the streets of Santa Cruz ordering eggs a la inglesa with beer in hand?" No we can't and there's nothing whatsoever in the history that connects these things, nor explains why the dish became so named. Because it's easy? Because it's basically chips and egg smothered in tomato ketchup? That would be stereotyping on steroids!

The recipe is very simple though.

First, for the stuffed eggs.

- 6 hard-boiled eggs (cooked).
- 150 gms. canned tuna.
- 1 small onion, finely chopped.
- mayonnaise

Cut the eggs in two halves and separate the yolks. Shred the tuna, mix with the onion and add half the egg yolks and mix everything with the mayonnaise to taste. Fill the twelve portions of eggs with the mixture.

Second, for the tomato sauce.

- 1 kilo of ripe tomatoes.
- 1 onion.
- 2 cloves of garlic.
- Salt.
- Sugar.

We start by frying the garlic, chop the onion and put it on to sauté slowly, until it begins to change its color; add the chopped tomatoes and cook very slowly. Add salt and sugar, both to taste. Simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain the sauce.

Serve the stuffed hard-boiled eggs, accompanied by some fries and covered with the tomato sauce. Finally, sprinkle with the remaining hard-boiled egg yolk.

Unos “canarios” huevos a la inglesa (Via)

The cholera epidemic of 1893 in Santa Cruz

The Lazareto in Santa Cruz de Tenerife that was used as a hospital
Image: ]V[orlock Zernebock Some rights reserved

In the autumn of 1893, alarming news arrived of the existence of a cholera epidemic in the Spanish peninsula and europe, which would lead to the application of preventive measures in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, forcing ships from infected ports into quarantine. Thus, when the Italian steamship Remo, with infected patients on board, arrived on September 29 that year, it was diverted into quarantine in the Lazareto (a quarantine station for maritime travellers), in the Los Llanos neighborhood of Santa Cruz, where it was anchored, isolated and guarded. The ship had sailed from Rio Grande to Genoa and carried 60 passengers in first class and 900 in third. (It is reported that, in 1893, the ship suffered 96 deaths from cholera and diphtheria, and was rejected by Brazil.) But the recklessness of some in violating the quarantine rules would cause that, on October 11, the first cases of cholera occurred in Santa Cruz de Tenerife and that days later the city would face an epidemic that would affect hundreds of homes.

Juan Bethencourt Alfonso (1847-1913)
Canarian doctor, historian, teacher,
journalist and anthropologist who
was born in San Miguel de Abona

Quickly, the rest of the islands and the towns of the interior were cut off from Santa Cruz. Pitchforks were placed on the security cordons to execute those who violated the ban. The panic was so great that the residents of Güímar erected a dry stone wall on the road to cut off the path, although it was of no use to them since the epidemic spread to Arona, Vilaflor, La Zarza, etc. In these towns, the work carried out by Dr. Juan Bethencourt Alfonso was immeasurable, as he was rendering his services alone. After the first moments of stupor were over, the people's reaction was immediate and, far from falling prey to discouragement, residents took to the streets to help the authorities as much as they could.

Health, subsistence and charity commissions were formed. In the Health Department, doctors Diego Costa, Juan Febles, Diego Guigou, Ángel María Izquierdo, Eduardo Domínguez and Agustín Pisaca, while publishing instructions and recommendations to the population, would install isolation hospitals in the hermitages of San Telmo, Regla and Sebastián, with the collaboration of the municipal guards, who delivered the lime to disinfect houses, citadels and latrines, selfless work that some paid for with their lives. Doctor Pisaca, as a hygienist doctor in the city, organized the entire health service and assisted more than 3,000 patients at his home, reducing mortality from 17% to 3%.

The subsistence sector opened public subscriptions for the most urgent cases, reaching 65,000 pesetas, with which it was able to distribute clothing and food and, the charity established kitchens in the hermitage of San Telmo and in Calle del Pilar to serve those most in need. Due to the state of incommunicado, charcoal, essential to heat food, and ice, necessary for the relief of those affected, began to become scarce. These deficiencies were solved with the mineral coal ceded by the shipping agent, Hamilton, and the ice donated by ships in the port, and sent by La Orotava City Council, brought from the Teide ice fields.

The neighbourhood of El Cabo in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1869. Public domain. Photo taken from the Church of the Conception, on the right the iron bridge, opposite the old hospital building, on the left above the hermitage of San Telmo and the arches are of the barracks of San Carlos.

The disease especially affected the most depressed areas of the population, especially the towns of San Andrés and Igueste, and the neighborhoods of Los Llanos, El Cabo and El Toscal, being felt especially in the streets of Humo, San Carlos, San Sebastián, San Juan Bautista, Ferrer, San Antonio, San Martín and Oriente. As the death toll had been very high on this last street, the Municipal Plenary on January 4, 1894, at the request of the parish priest of San Francisco, Santiago Beyro, agreed to change the name of Oriente street to Señor de las Tribulaciones (Lord of the Tribulations) because, according to popular tradition, the spread of the disease stopped in this place shortly after the icon had passed through the streets of the neighborhood. On January 14, the icon would be taken again in a solemn procession, from the church of San Francisco to the Toscal neighborhood, a celebration that is repeated every Easter.

On January 4, 1894, after three distressing months, the Official Gazette published the news that the choleric epidemic had ended, and declared the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife “clean”. Classes were resumed in schools.

As a sign of joy, the bells rang, there was music in the streets, rockets were fired, and hangings of flags were placed on public buildings; but while this was happening, a caravan of women, men, and children from the town of San Andrés crossed the city on a pilgrimage to the Christ of La Laguna, to fulfil the promise they had made to him. At the solemn funeral for the souls of the deceased, officiated by the bishop in the church of La Concepción, attended by all the authorities, the Santa Cecilia Philharmonic Society orchestra performed a solemn Te Deum, the work of maestro Juan Padrón, sung by the artists of the lyrical company that performed in the Municipal Theatre.

Out of a population of 19,722 inhabitants, 1,744 contracted cholera, of whom 382 died; of these, 40 were from San Andrés, where a new cemetery had to be made.

When the epidemic was declared extinguished, and the national press echoed the evidence of self-denial and heroism demonstrated by the inhabitants of Santa Cruz, a newspaper said “… that the behaviour of the municipality, doctors and neighbourhood had bordered on heroism, and if it were possible to reward so many virtues, there would not be enough crosses and commissions for each of those deserving them, so it was necessary to invent a formula that would perpetuate the brilliant behaviour of a people with all their hearts ... " While a local newspaper published "that the municipal corporation had managed in a few days to turn the old Lazaretto into an epidemic hospital, of the best of its kind, despite the few resources it had."

The Plaza de La Candelaria in Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1890

These circumstances would be officially recognized on April 23, 1894, when the Council of Ministers granted Santa Cruz the title of Very Beneficial, with the First Class Cross of the Civil Order of Charity, with an award and ribbon. At the festivities of May of that year 1894, also the 400th Anniversary of the Foundation of the City, it was commemorated, with a most solemn event held in the Plaza de La Candelaria, with the presence of the Municipal Corporation, when the civil governor read the Royal Decree by which Santa Cruz was granted the title of Very Beneficial, signed by Queen Regent María Cristina de Austria, mother of Alfonso XIII, while the bishop blessed the Cross First Class of the Civil Order of Charity, the civil governor placed it on the Banner.

After the epidemic ended, doctors in Santa Cruz organized a banquet-tribute to all the authorities, in recognition of the collaboration and support they had received, although from the testimonies that we have verified, the celebration could have been the other way around, since the dedication and behavior of doctors Diego Costa, Juan Febles, Diego Guigou, Ángel María Izquierdo, Eduardo Dominguez and Agustín Pisaca was exceptional, alleviating the suffering of the needy without the most basic means. * Official chronicler of Santa Cruz de Tenerife

La epidemia de cólera de 1893 en Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Tenerife in April 2020

Crosses

Jueves Santo (Holy Thursday) 9 April 2020 and Viernes Santo (Good Friday) 10 April 2020 are public holidays. Municipal holidays: 20 April is the Festivity of Santo Hermano Pedro in Vilaflor and 25 April is the Festivity of San Marcos Evangelista in Icod de los Vinos and Tegueste. 

Authorities in Granadilla de Abona and Vilaflor have confirmed that the XV Ruta del Camino del Hermano Pedro, scheduled for April 18, 2020, has been cancelled. They add, "We hope to see you participating in this walk next year."

Tortilla Española (Spanish Omelette)

Tortilla Española - Spanish Omelette Image: Joy / CC BY

Tortilla Española (Spanish Omelette) is, more often than not, the breakfast of choice in Tenerife, probably because, when it's served in bars, you usually have to be early to be one of the lucky ones to get a slice. But you could make it any time, not just breakfast, but for lunch, or tea, or supper ... It uses economic and basic ingredients, is easy to make and is pretty much comfort food. 

Ingredients
For 4 people

Potatoes 700 g
Onion 300 g
Eggs 6
Salt
Olive oil

Method

Start with caramelizing the onion, which will take about 30 minutes. Peel the onion and cut it into thin julienne strips. Then put them in a frying pan over very low heat and let them cook very slowly, stirring occasionally. We're not interested in the onion being browned, but being caramelised in its own natural sugars.

While the onion is cooking, peel the potatoes and cut them into thin slices, trying to ensure that all of them are uniform in size. Leave them in water for 15 minutes, drain, then place a frying pan with plenty of olive oil. Without giving the oil time to heat up, add the potatoes and let them fry very slowly. This way we get the potatoes to confit instead of browning. After about ten minutes, stirring from time to time, raise the heat to get some of the potatoes to be more toasted.

Once cooked, remove the potatoes and drain them well from the oil and put them in a large bowl. Drain the onions and add them to the potatoes. Beat the eggs and add them to the bowl, season and stir with a fork so that the ingredients are mixed well. Return the mixture to a frying pan with a tablespoon of oil and fry for about three or four minutes and turn it over to cook on the other side.

Tenerife in March 2020

Vintage car in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Once more, coinciding with the final Sunday of carnival, on 1 March 2020, the Vintage Car Club of Tenerife has organised its Parade of Vintage Cars, which celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this year, with some authentic jewels. This year there is a change of route: the cars will meet, from 10:00 am, as usual in the Parque García Sanabria, with entrance through Méndez Núñez Street. The departure is scheduled at 12:00 hours through the same entrance, to go along Doctor José Navieras street, Rambla de Santa Cruz to the crossing of the Comandancia de Marina, go up to the roundabout of Las Asunciones, go down San Street Sebastián to La Salle, cross the Galcerán bridge, go through Weyler and Méndez Núñez squares to Las Flores clock, go down El Pilar street, Villalba Hervás and La Marina to Francisco La Roche avenue, pass through the Cabildo, Correos and Casino de Tenerife and end up parking on that avenue.

With the big carnivals in the north coming to an end on March 1, the party moves to the south of the island with Los Gigantes Carnival starting on Friday, 6th March 2020, with their main parade being held on Sunday, 8th March 2020. 

Then Los Cristianos Carnival is taking place from from 12 to 23 March, with their Coso Apoteosis (Main Parade) being held on Sunday 22 March 2020. Los Cristianos Carnival was Suspended due to the pandemic.

It is now confirmed that, following government recommendations, the carnivals in Candelaria, Granadilla de Abona, Arona (Los Cristianos) and Santiago del Teide (Los Gigantes), as well as in La Guancha, have all been suspended.

There are no public holidays in March, nor municipal holidays in the month either. There is only one Romería confirmed at time of writing, the Romería de San José in Barranco Hondo (Candelaria) on Saturday 21 March and the Orvecame Norte Rally takes place on Saturday 28 March. That's enough, isn't it?