Last night, the English tried again. They quietly landed in the surroundings of the Black Castle of Santa Cruz, and as has been happening in the last 225 years, there they ran into the resistance of a people that was not unprotected, as they falsely believed, much less was willing to let themselves be conquered without put up any resistance. The Historical Cultural Association La Gesta was in charge, one more year, of moving to the capital two centuries ago to recreate a battle that was the beginning of the end of a defeat that the English never believed possible, and that even after it occurred was silenced in their history books, as very well they have wanted to highlight this year from the Tertulia Amigos on July 25.
The militiamen together with the troops of General Gutiérrez marched yesterday from the Alameda del Duque Santa Elena, where the period camp was inaugurated, which can also be visited throughout the day today, to reach the surroundings of the Black Castle, where everything was prepared so that the smell of gunpowder flooded Santa Cruz again, after two years without being able to do so.
The shots, the shouts, the wails, the hand-to-hand fights reminded the large audience attending the performance of how important this historical milestone was, and still is, for Santa Cruz, but also for Tenerife and the Canary Islands, since If Santa Cruz had fallen, the fate of the Islands would surely have been very different.
This first confrontation, as expected, ended up choosing the side of the English who managed to spend the night in the capital, as stated in the chronicles of the time, for today, facing the final battle, the one in which Nelson He ended up losing his arm, and that the English continue to find it difficult to recognize as a defeat.
Precisely this year, the celebration of the 225th anniversary has some very special guests, the representatives of the Nelson Society, to whom the Tertulia Amigos del 25 de Julio wanted to show first-hand the story of a defeat that has never been told as such. on British side. Yesterday, official visits dominated the agenda of the guests, in addition to various cultural events such as the inauguration of the exhibition of library collections related to the deedor the philatelic sample also related to July 25, 1797.
The Nelson Society will be the protagonist on Monday, July 25, with the unveiling of the plaque in memory of the Englishmen who died during the confrontation and with the events at the Real Club Naútico, where a laurel wreath will be thrown into the sea, also in tribute to the fallen English.
Today, starting at 8:30 p.m., from the Alameda del Duque Santa Elena, passing through the Santos ravine, Padre Moore, Antonio Dominguez Alfonso, the La Noria road, the Santo Domingo square, the Isla de la Madera square, Imeldo Serís, Nicolás Estévanez, Castillo, and Plaza de la Candelaria, will relive the great battle.