No. 22 - Its Gran Canaria Magazine

36
GET TO KNOW GRAN CANARIA I CONOCE GRAN CANARIA Nº 22
The historic neighbourhood of Vegueta is one of
the top attractions for visitors during the Christmas
festivities in the capital of Gran Canaria. More than
five centuries of history have left their mark on a
city that is open to the sea, is cosmopolitan, full of
landmarks and culture, and in a nutshell, a pioneer
in tourism on the islands. It was here that the first
Atlantic city of the Crown of Castile to be founded
outside Mainland Spain was born. The place chosen
by the conquerors was a bank of the Guiniguada
ravine, where water flowed in abundance, which
would become the political and administrative centre
of the island of Gran Canaria until well into the
20th century. Vegueta still proudly preserves the
passage of time around every corner, and although
it is no longer the epicentre of the city, it remains
its most emblematic neighbourhood, full of history.
It is a place for a leisurely stroll, for entertainment,
culture and history for its inhabitants and a must for
visitors and tourists to the city. Its splendour shines
even more brightly during the festive season.
Its most emblematic site is the Plaza de Santa Ana,
the first model of a main square to be shortly established
on Mainland Spain and in Latin America,
which brought together all the civil, military and
religious institutional powers in its surroundings.
At this time of year, the façade of the Town Hall
building is illuminated for Christmas and all kinds
of concerts are held here.
One of its most unique buildings is the Cathedral
of Santa Ana, the most sumptuous religious construction
in the Canary Islands, which, despite not
holding any special celebrations - apart from the
season’s religious celebrations - is well worth a visit.
The cathedral’s most characteristic element is the
façade, on which building began in 1497 by order of
the Catholic Monarch, although construction work
was held up for economic reasons at various periods
in time. These delays meant that it had different
architectural styles, such as late Gothic in the
interior and Neoclassical on the exterior.
Until the beginning of the 19th century, Santa Ana
was the only cathedral in the Canary Islands until,
in 1819, the Diocese of La Laguna, in Tenerife, was
created and a cathedral was built there.
Description of the Cathedral
As mentioned above, the façade is neoclassical
in style for a building containing three naves. The
central nave is the widest and the side naves are
bordered, in turn, by 13 independent chapels. The
church has a Latin cross plan with a slightly protruding
transept, crowned by a vault, which leads
to the main chapel. It has a supporting wall with
windows, a dome and a lantern. There are two
types of supports: on the one hand, free-standing
columns, 10 in total, which separate the side naves,
and are cylindrical in shape. The other group of
discontinuous supports is formed by the 20 or so
pillars attached to the side walls. The vaults, with
semicircular lines, branch out like palm trees at the
top of the supports. The windows are designed as
openings in the wall and not as large windows.
At present, the cathedral has 11 chapels dedicated to
different Catholic dedications, including Immaculate
Conception, St. Peter the Apostle, St. Theresa of
Jesus, Dolores, St. Joseph and St. John the Baptist.
The Majestic Cathedral of the Canaries
Artistic heritage
Apart from its architectural qualities, the cathedral
does not boast a remarkable number of artistic
treasures, as throughout its history it was repeatedly
plundered by pirates who ravaged the islands.
The most devastating was undoubtedly the attack
by Dutch corsair Van der Does on 30th June 1599.
Among the treasures to have survived, however,
is the 18th century carved wooden pulpit in the
great nave, the work of Jerónimo de San Guillermo;
as well as the Gothic altarpiece in the main chapel,
which comes from the cathedral of La Seo de
Urgell (Lleida, Spain). In the chapel of Los Dolores
visitors can contemplate the carving of the Virgin
Dolorosa shaped out of cedar wood which is the
masterpiece of leading Gran Canarian religious
sculptor Luján Pérez, together with an impressive
Christ figure, called from the Sala Capitular.
Many of the pieces - a multitude of objects, figures
and paintings of sacred art that are still preserved -
can be seen in the annexed Diocesan Museum. The
Patio de los Naranjos (Orange Tree Courtyard) is a
key feature of this building, a beautiful and unique
space decorated with a typical Canarian balcony.
Music in the cathedral
Without doubt, the cathedral's greatest and perfectly
preserved treasure is its musical archive,
Crucificado de Luján Pérez
containing works from between the 16th and 18th
centuries, which were thankfully saved from being
plundered by corsairs. For centuries the cathedral
was the leading centre for musical production on
the islands. Outstanding masters passed through
its music chapel, such as Josquín des Prés, Cristóbal
Morales, Tomás Luis de Victoria and Palestrina,
who contributed important compositions that
unfortunately were not preserved. A polyphonic
psalm by the canon and chapel master Ambrosio
López and a number of works by Bartolomé
Cairasco de Figueroa have survived, however; witnesses
to the golden age of musical activity in the
Canary Islands.
Productions dating from the 17th, 18th and 19th
centuries preserved in the archives of the Cathedral
exceed 2,000 pieces, most of them of
great artistic quality, meticulously catalogued by
musicologist Lola de la Torre. Famous names include
Morales, Sebastián Durón, Antonio Linares,
Fabián García Pacheco, all of them great 17th and
18th century Spanish musicians. Of the foreign
composers, the work of the great 17th century
Portuguese master Soares Rebelo is a highlight,
as well as some manuscript samples of considerable
antiquity of works by C.P.E. Bach or Haydn.
Musicians of the stature of Palomino and Lentini
arrived in the 19th century and not only enriched
the musical heritage but also shaped the island’s
traditional musical scene, which today boasts the
oldest Philharmonic Society in Spain, as well as
numerous classical music events.
A cathedral with views
A lift leads takes visitors up to the terrace of the
church, from where it is possible to enjoy spectacular
views. At the entrance are the surroundings
of the Plaza de Santa Ana, with its unique buildings
and its characteristic bronze dogs, as well
as the roofs and bell towers of the neighbouring
buildings and churches. In the distance is the ever-present
Atlantic that laps up to the shores, together
with more modern surroundings. A visit to
the Cathedral is a must, allowing visitors to lose
themselves as they wander around the streets
and squares of Vegueta, while enjoying the many
museums, shops and restaurants here in this
unique and unrepeatable corner of the capital
city.