The emblematic square of Municipality of La Orotava It already has a new image and various reforms that also allow this space to be better adapted to the tasks of making the great land carpet of Teide on the occasion of the Corpus Christi festivities. This rehabilitation, which has had a cost that exceeds the €325,000concludes in time so that, starting next Monday 7, it begins to be installed the giant nativity scene that each Christmas attracts thousands of visitors to the Villa.
The mayor of Infrastructures, Narciso Perez (CC), details that the chosen stone represents a significant improvement in quality, “since the previous pavement was made of concrete tiles.” A stone also selected after carrying out numerous resistance tests “even to wine stains”, thinking about the dances of the villeras parties. However, among its new features, the improvements introduced so that the square adapts in the best possible way to the great ephemeral work of art that captivates residents and visitors every year stand out. Apart from the refinement of the entire surface, now free of irregularities, the enclosure has a drainage system hidden under the stone that guarantees that the water does not affect the process, by correctly channeling the runoff from the stairs, the sides and the central lampposts. The exact axis of the square, which previously “was not square”, has also been marked.
The new drainage system will prevent accumulations of water around the central lamps
Under the stone paving there is also a buried structure designed to support the future awning that will have to protect the Teide land carpet during the weeks that it lasts.
After almost a year of work, including a break so that the 2022 Corpus Christi carpet could be made, the square has recovered the splendor lost over the years. The history of this square began to take shape in 1895, when the architect was commissioned Antonio Painter Ocete a first project. The economic difficulties that the municipal coffers were going through, focused on finishing the work on the City Hall building, prevented the start of the urbanization works of the then Plaza Alfonso XIII until June 1911. With a project of Mariano Estanga and a financial contribution from the mayor Thomas Perez, the square could be inaugurated in April 1912. Just a century later, in 2022, it has completed its first major reform. In the square you can now see an original tile with the date it was paved for the first time and another, recently laid, with the year of its rehabilitation.
the village mayor, Francisco Linares (CC)has shown its satisfaction for “the good result of the works, since it offers a new image and recovers its splendor, but maintaining its essence and its characteristics”, thanks to the project and the construction management of Miguel Angel Garciawho is also part of the team of carpet makers that designs the great tapestry of the square every year.
Linares recalled that this important work is the culmination of several stages of work, which “began in 2016 with the renovation of all the green spaces on the premises, the installation of the automated irrigation system and the adaptation of the fountain and the incorporation of night lighting” . In 2018 the public lighting was renewedthe architectural barriers were removed and the balustrade was rehabilitated and the perimeter stone cornice was discovered.
