Santa Cruz de Tenerife Considers Restoring Iconic Plaza de la Paz Fountain
Santa Cruz de Tenerife is evaluating the technical feasibility of restoring and relocating a historic fountain that has been in storage since its removal for tram construction in 2006.
Restoring urban heritage is back on the agenda in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, twenty years after the iconic fountain in Plaza de la Paz was removed. According to the newspaper El Día, the City Council is now assessing whether it is technically possible to restore and relocate the fountain, which has been in storage since it was dismantled for tram construction in 2006.
Carlos Tarife, the Councilor for Public Services, confirmed that the government is evaluating the condition of the fountain’s components to see if the 1957 structure can be repaired. The main challenge is that the fountain’s original location is now occupied by tram infrastructure, meaning officials must find a new home for it elsewhere in the city.
This news revives a debate from 2006, when the removal of the fountain for the Line 1 tram project sparked significant public outcry. At the time, over 4,500 people signed a petition demanding the monument stay in its original spot. Although the council suggested nearby locations like Avenida Reyes Católicos or Calle Alcalde Mandillo Tejera, none of those plans moved forward, and the fountain was eventually replaced by a smaller installation.
The Heritage Department is now managing the project, highlighting the ongoing struggle to balance modern transport needs with the city’s historical identity. Councilor Tarife stated that the local government hopes to "settle a historical debt" with this symbol of the city, provided that technical reports confirm it is safe to reinstall. The outcome of this project will set a precedent for how the city handles other historical pieces currently sitting in storage that remain part of the local collective memory.