New Book Honors Traditional Trades and Rural Heritage of Tacoronte
The Tacoronte City Council has published Homenaje a los oficios tradicionales de Tacoronte, a new book documenting the lives and contributions of 21 individuals to preserve the region's agricultural and cultural heritage.
Efforts to preserve the intangible heritage of rural Canary Islands have received a boost with the release of Homenaje a los oficios tradicionales de Tacoronte (Homage to the Traditional Trades of Tacoronte). Published by the local council and coordinated by journalist Zenaido Hernández, the book documents the lives and careers of 21 key figures in the region’s primary sector. More than just an institutional tribute, the work serves as a record of local history, covering agriculture, livestock, fishing, and traditional crafts.
The book captures experiences that might otherwise be forgotten. Through the personal stories of residents like Arturo Hernández Torres, Miguel Izquierdo Álvarez, and Rosario Romero González, the text maps the human side of Tacoronte’s development. These accounts—ranging from the challenges of childhood farm labor to the growth of professional winemaking—provide a firsthand look at how the municipality’s identity was shaped.
Presented on July 9 at the House of Culture by Mayor Sandra Izquierdo and Councilman Iván Hernández, the book features a prologue by Lucas Fernández. It highlights the importance of agricultural initiatives launched in the 1990s, such as the Farmers' Market and the revitalization of the wine sector at the Alhóndiga. These projects, championed by figures like Vicente Rodríguez Infante, established the foundation for today’s thriving agricultural community.
Tacoronte is now a key agricultural hub in Tenerife, home to the Agricultural Training School and the Tenerife Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation Center (CCBAT), and located near the Canary Institute of Agricultural Research (ICIA). This publication honors those who built the local economy while acting as a bridge between the wisdom of older generations and the modern techniques used today. By documenting these stories, the City Council is reinforcing the value of traditional trades as essential to the island’s cultural identity and sustainable future.