La Laguna Mansion: Photography Centre vs. Literary Hub

The Estévanez-Borges Mansion in La Laguna, a protected historic building since 2014, is currently at the heart of a disagreement over what it should be used for. According to the online magazine Trasdemar, a public campaign has collected over a hundred signatures to turn the mansion into a literary centre and a museum dedicated to writers. This goes against the plan put forward by the Cabildo de Tenerife (Tenerife Island Council).

The Cabildo, which owns the mansion, has announced through its Culture Minister, José Carlos Acha, its plan to turn it into an extra building for the Tenerife Photography Centre. This decision has sparked opposition from many in the cultural community, who believe the proposed use doesn't fit with the building's historical importance. Samir Delgado, coordinator of Trasdemar, said he disagrees with this approach. He pointed out that the Cabildo itself had previously agreed to use the mansion for literary and cultural events, and to promote Canarian identity.

Built around 1735 by the Meade family, the Estévanez-Borges Mansion has always been a place where intellectuals, politicians, and artists gathered. Famous figures like Sabino Berthelot, Blasco Ibáñez, and Leopoldo O’Donnell visited its rooms. The building was also a key hub for Romanticism in La Laguna. It was home to the activities of the Estévanez Murphy brothers: Nicolás, who was a minister in the First Republic; Patricio, an intellectual and journalist; and Diego. Also, the artist Francisco Borges Salas had his art studio there. This rich history and artistic connection are why many are calling for it to be used for cultural and literary purposes.

More than a hundred people and groups have backed Trasdemar's campaign, including leading figures from the cultural scene in the Canary Islands and across Spain. They include winners of the Canary Islands Literature Award, Cecilia Domínguez, Elsa López, and Juan-Manuel García Ramos, as well as Gonzalo González, winner of the Canary Islands Fine Arts Award. Also on the list are the poet Virgilio López Lemus, who won Cuba's National Literature Award; Ibon Arbaiza, director of the Blas de Otero Foundation; and Antonio Rodríguez Almanza, director of the Zenobia and Juan Ramón Jiménez House Museum. Art critic Celestino Celso Hernández, director of the Eduardo Westerdahl Museum of Contemporary Art, and photographer Carlos A. Schwartz have also joined. Organisations like the Ateneo de La Laguna, the Center for Canarian Popular Culture, and the Association of Journalists of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, along with several members of the Estévanez-Borges family, show how widespread the opposition is.

Samir Delgado noted that since the Cabildo bought the mansion from the Estévanez-Borges family in 2007, it has failed to open the building to the public to showcase its family, literary, and artistic history. Delgado believes the minister's current proposal not only goes against this original aim but also contradicts what the island council had previously agreed.