No. 11 - Its Gran Canaria Magazine

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GET TO KNOW GRAN CANARIA I CONOCE GRAN CANARIA Nº 11
A journey around culture in Moya
Fontanales
Church of Our Lady of Candelaria
This church, located on the edge of an imposing
cliff overlooking the Barranco de Moya ravine,
was built in 1957 on the site of the original hermitage
where the parish church of the town was
founded in 1515. Its medieval-style boasts three
rose windows and stained glass windows depicting
different biblical passages. This church houses
the 15th century carving of the patron saint of
the Villa de Moya, Our Lady of Candelaria, made
of cedar wood and covered with cloth cloaks. The
traditional festivities in honour of the patron saint
of Moya are held during January. Although the
health situation in Gran Canaria does not allow
the celebration of local popular events, Holy Mass
will be held on the feast day of Our Lady of Candelaria,
on 2nd February and also on 6th February,
although the patron saint will not be able to go
out in a procession, to prevent crowds gathering
in the municipality.
Tomás Morales House Museum
2021 commemorated the centenary of the death
of illustrious poet Tomás Morales, who was born in
Moya in 1884 and died prematurely in Las Palmas
de Gran Canaria in 1921, at the tender age of 37.
Last year, the Town Hall of Villa de Moya named
Tomás Morales a Favourite Son of the municipality,
a distinction he had not yet received despite
having carried the name of his hometown all over
the world for more than a century.
Church of San Bartolomé de Fontanales
The current church was built in the 1970s and was
inaugurated on 24th August 1974. It contains the
statue of San Bartolomé, attributed to leading
sculptor Luján Pérez. The parish church of San
Bartolomé was founded in 1915 and the town's
main festivities are held in honour of the saint on
24th August every year. The Fontanales estate in
Mojácar, where the church is located, is a protected
area that is noted for its spectacular scenery
all around.
Heredad de Aguas Waterboard
This stately building was constructed at the end
of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th century.
It stands on two floors, and features a symmetrical
stone façade, porch and six neoclassical
columns supporting a lintelled column topped by
the central bell tower with a clock. This clock used
to be used as a reference to administer the distribution
of rainwater and water from the springs
among the members. The imposing building, now
Heredad de Aguas
in disuse and located in the heart of the town, is
evidence of the importance of irrigation water in
the municipality’s historical development, where
the countryside and traditions are still deeply
rooted.
All the cultural information on Moya is now available
on the 'Cultura de Moya' app. Here, local
townsfolk and visitors can access the cultural programme
and check out all the spaces dedicated
to culture in the town.