Tenerife Council, Diocese Sign Religious Heritage Restoration Deal
The Tenerife Island Council and the Diocese of Nivariense have signed a four-year agreement to restore and preserve the island's religious heritage, including buildings, movable items, and musical organs, with the Council funding 70% of the investment.
This Monday, the Tenerife Island Council and the Diocese of Nivariense signed an agreement to restore and preserve the island's religious heritage. This partnership will allow for planned work on historically and culturally important buildings, movable items, and musical organs. The Island Council will cover 70% of the investment, with the Bishopric contributing the remaining 30%.
Rosa Dávila, President of the Cabildo, and Bishop Eloy Santiago of Nivariense, explained the agreement's details at a press conference. Isabel de Esteban, the Island Councillor for Territorial and Historical Heritage, also attended. The agreement will last four years and be carried out in three main parts.
The first part of the agreement will focus on restoring culturally important buildings, including several protected cultural sites. These include the Santo Domingo Church in Güímar, the Parish Church of San Juan Bautista in San Juan de la Rambla, and the hermitages of Nuestra Señora de Regla and San Telmo in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
The second part will cover the restoration of movable items. This includes work on Baroque altarpieces, paintings, religious images, coffered ceilings, and liturgical objects that are historically and artistically significant. Many of these items are deeply connected to the island's shared identity and require highly specialized technical skills.
The third part of the agreement will focus on restoring musical organs, such as the second phase of the Castilian-Andalusian School organ in the Church of San Francisco de Asís in Tenerife's capital. The agreement also includes digitizing the diocesan archive, a project the Cabildo will fully fund to improve its preservation and accessibility.
Rosa Dávila stressed that this agreement provides a medium and long-term plan for managing religious heritage, stating that "investing in heritage is investing in the future." She explained that this heritage is a key part of Tenerife's history, identity, and shared memory. The President reminded everyone that during the current term, about six million euros will be allocated to preserving civil, public, and religious heritage, with over 2.7 million specifically planned for 2026. She also noted that the agreement will create specialized jobs.
Bishop Eloy Santiago called the agreement "very important" for the Diocese and emphasized the good working relationship and cooperation with the Cabildo. He noted that all of the Church's properties are cataloged and that they are working with various bodies, including the University of La Laguna, to highlight their value. However, he admitted that many properties need urgent repairs. He also suggested that some areas could be temporarily used for social purposes, mentioning that part of the Seminary has already been given to the Canary Islands Government to help with the migration crisis.
Councillor Isabel de Esteban thanked the Bishopric for its cooperation and the Island Council for its commitment. She stressed that this approach views heritage as a cultural, social, and economic investment, which can boost specialized fields like technicians, archaeologists, historians, restorers, artisans, and other businesses in Tenerife.