San Telmo Hermitage in Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Undergo Major Restoration with €548,000 Investment

The hermitage of San Telmo, one of Santa Cruz de Tenerife's oldest buildings, was built in the mid-1500s by the local fishermen's guild. They paid for it because, on April 15th, Saint Telmo's feast day, they traditionally gave him alms, treating him like a sailor who deserved a daily wage.

The fishermen and the people of the Cabo neighborhood deeply respected the Saint. His feast day became a very important and popular celebration in Santa Cruz, dating back to 1576.

The hermitage has stone walls and a tiled, sloping roof, with a hip roof over the altar area. Its main front is topped by a triangular gable with a cross and a small belfry for two bells. The entrance features a rounded arch. It was renovated in 1838, with the floor covered in local flagstones and stone added to the building's corners. A sacristy was also added to the right.

The original belfry was replaced in 1893 by a 19-meter-tall tower designed by architect Antonio Pintor. However, this tower was torn down in 1918 because it was damaged by a storm and looked like it might collapse. The priest didn't have the money to fix it, so the City Council asked the army's Corps of Engineers for help. They used explosives, which was the first controlled explosion in Santa Cruz. On March 18th, at 8:50 AM, after nearby houses were evacuated, soldiers set the charges. The explosion shook the neighborhood, but the tower didn't fall. It had to be demolished with pickaxes and hammers. The city had to pay for broken windows and tiles in nearby homes. The hermitage itself was made smaller during this work, now covering 130 square meters, to widen Las Cruces street, which led to the barracks, the slaughterhouse, and Llanos de Regla.

In the most recent renovation of the hermitage, done as part of the Plan Urban in 1997, plaster was removed from the west facade. This revealed a door, made of red tuff stone, that had been blocked up when the square in front of the hermitage was moved.

Inside, a rounded arch made of red volcanic tuff leads to the altar area. The main chapel features an 18th-century altarpiece. In the center is an image of Ntra. Sra. del Buen Viaje (Our Lady of the Good Journey), dressed as a statue from 1618, holding a ship and the Child Jesus. To the left is Saint Telmo, dressed as a Dominican friar, holding a candle and a ship. To the right is Saint Francis Xavier. In the upper section are paintings of the Virgin of Montserrat, The Storm, and Happy Navigation. A crucified Christ, "Cristo de las Llagas," by an Ecuadorian artist and donated in 2004, is also displayed in the altar area.

Along the sides of the main hall are small chapels with statues of Saint Sebastian, Saint Joseph, Saint Peter of the Marinas, and Brother Pedro. There are also oil paintings of the Virgin of the Rosary, the Christ of Tacoronte, and the Immaculate Conception, a 17th-century work thought to be by Juan de Miranda.

The ceilings are made of Mudejar-style coffered wood, with decorative beams. The most notable is the octagonal ceiling in the altar area. Above the main beams, which help support the walls, are models of ships, offerings from sailors who have fulfilled a vow.

In 1649, Franciscan friars built a convent next to the hermitage and moved San Telmo there. However, the local residents petitioned the King, and a Royal Decree in 1652 ordered the convent demolished, the friars removed, and the statue returned to its hermitage.

The Cross of the Foundation was kept at the hermitage of San Telmo. It was first carried in procession in 1867. In 1892, the City Council moved it to the Parish of Ntra. Sra. de la Concepción, where it received more attention.

The hermitage was also used as a burial site during the 1856 yellow fever epidemic. An emergency soup kitchen was set up there for those affected by the 1893 cholera epidemic.

The expansion of Bravo Murillo street in 1966, which removed the square in front of the hermitage, marked the beginning of the demolition of the Cabo neighborhood, with residents moved to new housing on the outskirts of the city.

The hermitage of San Telmo was closed in 1975. However, former residents, determined to save it, managed to have it restored by city technicians in 1999. It reopened for worship on May 4, 2001. They continue to feel a connection to its history, gathering there on the Saint's feast day or attending a Mass held on the last Wednesday of each month. The Friends of San Telmo group helps maintain it and opens it on Sunday mornings for visitors.

The hermitage has been owned by the city since 1940, when the Bishopric transferred it to the City Council in exchange for land to build the church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán. The agreement stated that if the hermitage were demolished, a monument would be built in its place.

Since 2007, the hermitage has been located between the Maritime Avenue and the tram tracks, which run in front of its main entrance.

Pedro González Telmo was born in Palencia in 1190. His uncle and guardian, Tello Téllez de Meneses, prepared him for the priesthood. As Dean of the Cathedral of Palencia, he fell into a mud puddle during a procession on Christmas Day in 1220, becoming a public spectacle. Grateful for this humbling experience, he resigned and joined the Dominican Order. He began his religious work in towns in Portugal and Spain.

Understanding the difficulties faced by sailors, their dangerous work, and the worries of their families, he secured help from the King and local lords, which led to the establishment of fishermen's guilds.

His direct support for seafarers is highlighted by the 180 miracles attributed to him, both during his life and after his death. Based on the testimony of 96 witnesses, Pope Innocent IV beatified him in 1254. In 1741, a Papal Bull declared him the Patron Saint of navigators and fishermen.

He died in Tuy (Pontevedra) on April 14, 1246, and was buried in its Cathedral. Legend says that shortly after his death, a fragrant oil flowed from his tomb, which was used to heal illnesses.

The hermitage of San Telmo in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is set to undergo restoration with a total investment of 548,464.69 euros. The Cabildo will contribute 398,464.69 euros, with the Bishopric and the City Council of Santa Cruz providing 150,000 euros.

This project is a collaboration between the Bishopric of Tenerife and the City Council. The Cabildo stated that this partnership allows for technical expertise and respect for heritage values in such projects.

The restoration work will be comprehensive and respectful of cultural heritage regulations in the Canary Islands. Key tasks include fully restoring the roofs, treating wooden structural elements, repairing the chancel arch, fixing cracks, renewing mortars, completely replacing the electrical system, and renovating the choir, pulpit, and stairs.

Additionally, the Cabildo of Tenerife has allocated a subsidy of 2,167,708.62 euros to the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna for restoration work on various significant heritage properties on the island in 2025. This funding is part of the Insular Program for Historical Heritage 2023-2027 and aims to preserve important historical sites and churches on the island.

The planned restoration work in this new phase will be carried out on the following properties:

– Temple of Santo Domingo (Güímar) – Parish Temple of San Juan Bautista (San Juan de la Rambla) – Hermitage of Nuestra Señora de Regla (Santa Cruz de Tenerife) – Hermitage of San Telmo (Santa Cruz de Tenerife)

The Cabildo explained that the subsidy will fund structural repairs, roof restorations, facade rehabilitation, and conservation efforts necessary to protect, maintain, and pass on Tenerife's cultural heritage for the future.