Santa Cruz Reopens Historic Masonic Temple as Interpretation Center

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is set to officially reopen its Masonic Temple this Monday after extensive renovation work. Architect María Nieves Febles led the project, which focused on restoring the temple's historical and symbolic elements, especially since it's classified as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC). The goal was also to prepare the building for its new role as an interpretation center while preserving its heritage.

After its official launch, the temple will be open for guided tours. It will be closed on Mondays. Tours are available on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and on Wednesdays and Fridays from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

The opening ceremony will begin at 5:00 PM and will be attended by several key figures. These include the capital's mayor, José Manuel Bermúdez; the president of the Cabildo, Rosa Dávila; the president of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Clavijo; and the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres. The city council shared this information in a statement.

The renovation cost 3 million euros, funded by the Ministry of Finance and channeled through the Ministry of Culture's General Directorate of Fine Arts. The temple aims to become a comprehensive interpretation center, equipped with books and other resources, to share and highlight this unique historical and cultural site.

The main purpose is to allow the public to visit and learn about the history of Freemasonry. Minister Ángel Víctor Torres previously stated that Freemasonry was "fundamental" to Spain's intellectual growth but was "ignominiously" persecuted during the Francoist dictatorship.

According to the Ministry, the Masonic Temple of the Añaza Lodge, built between 1899 and 1902, is considered the largest Spanish Masonic temple constructed before the 1936 coup. The Francoist regime viewed Freemasons as "enemies" due to their progressive beliefs and destroyed many of their temples. However, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife temple survived.

The renovation work, designed by architect María Nieves Febles, specifically aimed to restore the symbolic and physical aspects of the Masonic lodge, respecting its BIC status. It also focused on adapting the building for new uses while maintaining its historical character. Special attention was given to restoring the layout and iconography of significant areas like the Meeting Room and the Banquet Hall.

In connection with this, the Santa Cruz de Tenerife City Council has asked the Salamanca Archive to transfer documents and items believed to belong to Canary Islands Masonic lodges. In a letter to Fernando Martínez, the Secretary of State for Democratic Memory, the council expressed its wish for the temple to display these "most significant" 19th and 20th-century Masonic documents and artifacts from the Canary Islands on a temporary basis.

Specifically, they are requesting documents related to the Venerables of the Añaza Lodge, the Banner of Añaza Lodge No. 270, and objects like jewels that are thought to be held by the Archive. These items would then be exhibited in the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Temple.

To help identify these materials, the council provided a "provisional inventory based on available historical references." This list includes assets believed to be in the Salamanca Archive, though this cannot be confirmed "with certainty" until the Archive's officials verify it.

Mayor José Manuel Bermúdez explained that they are requesting not only the archives of the Añaza lodge, which initiated the temple's construction, but also those of all Canary Islands lodges held by the Salamanca Archive. He added that Santa Cruz is "convinced that the exhibition of these materials will contribute to the knowledge and recognition of an essential part of democratic memory, in addition to strengthening the city's cultural and tourist projection."

This documentation will be displayed in the Masonic Temple, which officially reopens next Monday. The city council reminds visitors that tour reservations can be made through the website https://santacruzcultura.es or via the SoyCulturaSC accounts on Instagram and Facebook, accessible from iOS or Android mobile phones.