San Cristóbal de la Laguna

The town of San Cristóbal de la Laguna on the island of Tenerife is remarkable in that it was built as an unfortified town during a period of colonisation. This does not mean that the area was settled by the new rulers without armed conflict, though.
The main reasons for the townʼs inscription on the World Heritage list are the city planning according to philosophical principles and royal regulations, the fact that it became a blueprint for settlements under Spanish (Castilian) rule in the Canary Islands and the Americas, and that it also became a melting pot for cultural and commercial exchange between Europe, Africa and the Americas.

San Cristóbal de la Laguna became the first Spanish capital of the island of Tenerife in 1496, after the defeat of the indigenous inhabitants, the Guanche. While the southern Menceyatos (Guanche kingdoms or territories, led by a Mencey) agreed to peace treaties, the Menceyatos along the northern coast fought the Spanish invasion. At first, the Guanche had the upper hand and won the First Battle of Acentejo. That battle was subsequently referred to as “La Matanza de Acentejo”, as it ended in bloodbath for the invading troops. However, the Guanche were defeated decisively in the Battle of Aguere in November 1495 and the Second Battle of Acentejo in December of the same year and eventually capitulated in the summer of 1496.

The town of San Cristóbal de la Laguna was then founded in the same valley where the Battle of Aguere was fought, which I find a little creepy being so close to the battlefield, to be honest. The logical reasons given for the selection of this exact spot for the new town of San Cristóbal de la Laguna – nowadays frequently abbreviated to La Laguna – is the safe location far enough from the coast to be safe from attack by sea, the fact that there is a verdant plateau and a climate that allowed the growing of grains and keeping of cattle, and a freshwater supply from a brook and lake (the laguna, which has since dried up). Regarding the laguna, I found contradicting information that it was either stagnant or part of the fresh water supply, but itʼs long gone in any case.

The location at 550 meters above sea level and several miles from the coast provided the lucky circumstance that no defensive walls or battlements were required. This led to the curious fact that this town, built just after the conquest of the island and serving as its capital, remained unfortified.

San Cristóbal de La Laguna is the first example of an unfortified town with a grid model that was the direct precursor of the settlements in the Americas under Spanish rule during colonial times. The Castilians founded 8 such grid-plan towns on the Canary Islands. They were founded “ex novo”, i.e. on un-built ground, and the town was a political means for the colonization and appropriation of the territory. It is that very philosophy that was transferred to the Americas.
From: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/929/

The Canary Islands became an immensely important part of the triangular trade routes between Europe, Africa and the Americas. Thus, the islands and so also San Cristóbal de la Laguna, became a place where constant exchange took place between the Spanish (or Castilian) conquerors and colonisers and the colonised peoples in the Canary Islands and the Americas. European influence was not limited to the Iberian Peninsula, though, as interchange in art and craft from further North can also be found. European settlement of the Canary Islands also wasnʼt restricted to people from the kingdoms under the rule of Isabella I of Castile and Fernando II. of Aragón (known as Reyes Católicos since 1496). On the contrary, many craftsmen came from Portugal, as well as traders from Flanders and Italy. Another group of people that may not be forgotten are African slaves, though of course their situation cannot be compared to voluntary settlers. The influence of the colonial developments on the Canary Islands was not one-directional from Europe towards the islands, however, as the indigenous peoples – mostly Guanche but other groups, as well – also impacted on society, arts and craftsmanship. I found it very interesting to read that in official documents, the inhabitants were differentiated by having been born in the Canary Islands or not, and not by national or ethnic background.

The Canary Islands were a forerunner of America, playing the role of a giver and receiver, and being a melting pot of cultures, which resulted in an indubitable fusion of the contribution of the pre-conquest indigenous people (in ethnographic features and traditional culture) and those from Portuguese, Castilian, and Mudéjar architecture and town-planning.
From: https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/929/

Nowadays, La Laguna is a lovely town with four main plazas, a bustling market, alleys to stroll through and admire the curious mix of architectural styles.
As is explained on the official UNESCO website, “its heritage architecture represents significant instances of the Mudéjar, Neoclassical, Modernist, Rationalist, and Contemporary architecture that have remained alive and active until now”.

There are museums, galleries, convents, countless churches, stupendously impressive town houses, cafés and restaurants, shops, a daily market and therefore, La Laguna is everything a modern tourist could wish for. Or should be really, because I found that a lot of the places I would have liked to visit had the most random opening hours.

I really enjoyed visiting La Laguna, nonetheless, and spent hours zig-zagging through the historical centre and admiring the fact that so much of the historical building substance remains. According to the official description of this World Heritage site, linked above, 627 historical buildings remain. Considering that the historic town centre is not that large, this is quite a number of preserved buildings in one spot. Many houses are painted in vibrant colours and there is a lot of green throughout town. Yes, there are also houses or alleys that appear a little worse for wear and could do with fresh paint and repairs, but this is life and it doesnʼt diminish the positive experience of visiting San Cristóbal de la Laguna in the slightest.

You can easily reach La Laguna by bus from both Santa Cruz de Tenerife (which took over as the islandʼs capital in 1833) and Puerto de la Cruz. There is also a tram line between La Laguna and Santa Cruz, which I prefer to the bus. Naturally, you can also easily get there by car.

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