La Laguna Launches Proactive Maintenance Plan to Preserve Public Sculptures

La Laguna is moving away from reactive repairs and toward a structured municipal policy for preserving its public sculptures. According to the local Cultural Heritage department, the statue of La Milagrosa in the Plaza de San Cristóbal has just undergone a preventive restoration, restoring the landmark to its former state.

The project, which cost 3,263.20 euros, is part of a maintenance plan designed to stop structural decay through regular monitoring. By using an inventory of the city’s artistic assets, the council can now address minor issues before they require expensive, major repairs. For the 1929 marble statue, the work involved removing environmental buildup and vegetation that had begun to damage the stone.

The statue, which sits on an eight-meter pedestal, is a significant part of the city’s history. It arrived on the island by sea from the mainland decades ago and was officially installed in 1960, thanks to a public fundraising campaign led by Father Chacobo Juste and the Escuela Normal de Maestras.

This restoration is part of a larger, 24,000-euro second phase of the maintenance program—a 70% increase in funding from last year. Other ongoing projects include work on the Monument to the Peasant (12,412 euros), the Laura de la Puerta Guillén memorial (1,284 euros), the monolith dedicated to the Victims of AIDS (716.90 euros), and the Monument to Los Sabandeños in Punta del Hidalgo (5,938.50 euros).

In total, the City Council plans to invest over 150,000 euros this year to restore larger pieces. Key projects include an 85,000-euro collaboration with the University of La Laguna to restore the monument to Father Anchieta, and the restoration of the La Trilladora sculpture, which is being half-funded by the Cabildo of Tenerife for nearly 50,000 euros. Through these efforts, the local government aims to protect its sculptural heritage and preserve the iconic landmarks that define the city’s landscape.