Tenerife Cabildo Unveils Restored Anaga Virgen de Candelaria Painting
The Cabildo has completed the 30,000-euro restoration of several donated Assets of Cultural Interest from the remote Hacienda de Las Palmas de Anaga, including a 1680 oil painting of the Virgen de Candelaria, now temporarily housed in Taganana after being presented yesterday.
The local government (Cabildo) has finished restoring several important cultural items from the Hacienda de Las Palmas de Anaga. These items are officially recognized as Assets of Cultural Interest (BIC). This was a technically challenging project, particularly the restoration of an oil painting of the Virgen de Candelaria. This painting is a key part of the old hermitage's historical art collection and was presented yesterday in the Taganana church. The restoration work cost 30,000 euros, funded by the Tenerife Cabildo and the Canary Islands Government.
The project began with a challenging operation in July 2024. Firefighters had to move the artworks from the hacienda, which is in a very remote area with no road access, making the transport extremely difficult.
The Cabildo accepted a donation of several artistic and religious items from the Hacienda de Las Palmas de Anaga, given by its owner, Candelaria de Fátima Camejo Gallardo. Officials highlighted that this transfer allowed for the restoration, preservation, and improvement of a heritage collection that is very important to the island.
Yesterday, Rosa Dávila, the president of the Cabildo, stressed that "restoring this oil painting means bringing back a work of huge artistic and religious importance, deeply connected to Anaga's history and the island's rural heritage." José Manuel Bermúdez, the mayor of Santa Cruz, added that "we are seeing the recovery of heritage that embodies our identity and traditions."
Restorer Candelaria García emphasized how crucial it was to save these pieces, stating they "would not have survived another winter and would have been lost."
The oil painting of the Virgen de Candelaria, believed to be from around 1680 and by a master painter in Tenerife, was badly damaged. Besides the painting, its original altarpiece frame has also been restored, along with a sculpture of San Gonzalo de Amarante and other religious items from the hermitage.
After restoration, the items have been temporarily placed in the Santa Catalina hermitage in Taganana. Dávila explained this is "while we work on plans to ensure the hacienda's future preservation."