La Laguna Restores Historic Bronze Monument Honoring Laura de la Puerta Guillén
The La Laguna City Council is restoring a historic bronze monument honoring educator Laura de la Puerta Guillén as part of a broader 24,000-euro initiative to preserve the city's public art.
Efforts to preserve public art in San Cristóbal de La Laguna have taken center stage following an emergency repair to the bronze ring honoring Laura de la Puerta Guillén. The La Laguna City Council’s Cultural Heritage department removed the piece—which encircles a palm tree outside the teacher's former home on Camino Largo—in mid-March after discovering it was at risk of breaking and falling.
The repair cost 1,284 euros and is part of a larger 24,000-euro municipal project to restore five local sculptures. The bronze ring, created in the 1950s by Fundación Cerrajería Sevilla, measures 58 by 220 centimeters. It is easily recognized by its greenish patina and features the municipal coat of arms, a portrait of the teacher, and her name alongside her husband’s, Domingo Cabrera Cruz.
The monument is significant beyond its physical form. Local officials note that it was the first public tribute in the area to a woman who was neither a military figure nor a traditional literary icon. As the director of the Escuela Normal Superior de Maestras and a science teacher, Laura de la Puerta Guillén made her Camino Largo home a hub for intellectual and cultural life in 20th-century Tenerife.
Adolfo Cordobés, the councilor for the department, emphasized that these preventive measures are essential to protecting historical street art from permanent damage. The piece was sent to Taller Bronzo for professional treatment, and the City Council expects to reinstall it in its original location within the next few days. This project underscores the city’s commitment to proactively protecting the landmarks that shape La Laguna’s identity.