La Laguna Revives Dramatized 'Eden?' Tours

La Laguna's Department of Cultural Heritage, Burka Teatro, and historian Néstor Verona are launching new "Is La Laguna Eden?" dramatized tours today. This comedy show will take audiences through the city's streets and historic buildings, including a visit to the Cathedral to see the Los Remedios altarpiece and the valuable Flemish panels by Mazuelos – some of the city's most treasured heritage pieces.

These tours were originally planned for outdoor city spaces. However, in summer 2021, they had to be moved indoors to the cloister of the old Santo Domingo convent, with limited capacity and health rules due to the pandemic. Now, as part of the celebrations for La Laguna's 25th anniversary as a World Heritage City, the tours are returning to their original outdoor format, offering a historical experience right in the heart of the city.

The tours will run from today until this coming Sunday, with two shows daily at 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM. Participants should meet in Cathedral square. Please note there will be no tour on Saturday, as it coincides with the "La Noche en Blanco" event.

Set in the late 1500s, the play explores the idea that La Laguna might be home to the mythical tree of golden apples from classical stories, which could grant immortality to King Philip II. Through dance, music, and comedy, the show guides audiences to famous city spots like La Laguna Cathedral, the Museum of History and Anthropology of Tenerife (Lercaro Palace), Salazar Palace, San Agustín Street, and the Plaza de la Junta Suprema.

Adolfo Cordobés, the Councillor for Cultural Heritage, explained that these dramatized tours are a great way to share the city's history. He said, "It's more than just looking at old places; it's about living them through characters, stories, and scenes that bring our city's past to life, offering a truly immersive experience." Nacho Almenar, director of Burka Teatro, added that the show is "a comedy that blends history and myth, encouraging people to laugh, feel, and see our heritage in a new light."

Historian Néstor Verona further explained that the story takes place in 1592. King Philip II is dying, and Doña Mencía de Mendoza comes to the Canary Islands searching for the golden apples. This connects to the ancient Greek myth of the Apples of the Hesperides, which some old writers believed were in the Atlantic. The play uses this idea to show La Laguna, a thriving city in the late 16th century, as a backdrop for plots, dreams, and tales.