Next Sunday March 26 will open its doors in the urban area of Granadilla de Abona the old tobacco dryer, converted into a large cultural, multipurpose and multipurpose space. The emblematic property, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 2008, has been completely renovated after an investment of 455,995 euros.
With views of José Reyes Martín street and the Camino Real del Sur, in the heart of the town, is located one of the architectural jewels of the region, which after the works carried out by the City Council, with the collaboration of the Cabildo, preserves its structure after an ambitious reform to reconvert this space into an enclosure that will host all kinds of cultural activitiesincluding exhibitions, conferences, presentations and concerts.
At the front of the building, the main entry point, a square has been set up to serve as a resting point, while at the back, in the old orchard, a patio and a viewpoint have been built for visitors to enjoy. of the views of the Camino Real del Sur. In this sense, it must be remembered that last February the act of beginning the conditioning works of the Camino Real was signed in the area of the new cultural space El Secadero.
Mayor, Jose Domingo Regaladostated that the new cultural space will become a “reference place for the enjoyment of granadilleras and granadilleras and will contribute to the revitalization of the historic center, in an environment of great heritage value, such as the Franciscan Convent, the Church of San Antonio de Padua or the History Museum itself”.
The councilor highlighted, in addition to the rehabilitation of the property, the two new plazas and the ongoing improvement of the Camino Real, which runs close to the building.
The Granadilla tobacco dryer is a construction that consists of a single nave with a gabled roof, has the shape of a regular quadrilateral and preserves elements that contribute to maintaining an environment typical of other decades. The building is a faithful reflection of the importance that the export of tobacco leaves gained in the municipality and in the region. The file that served as the basis for declaring it an Asset of Cultural Interest advocates the preservation of the building in a place “without major negative impacts generated by recent urban transformations.”
Its construction dates from 1878 by José García Torres, one of the most important tobacco growers in the Abona region, coinciding with the takeoff of this crop, as an alternative to the cochineal crisis, due to the development in Europe of chemical dyes. . Its function was to dry tobacco leaves for export. Most of the production was directed to England and France, since it cost up to three times less than sending it to the Peninsula.
In 2008, the year of the declaration of Asset of Cultural Interest, it was acquired by the Granadilla de Abona City Council. The building, one of the patrimonial treasures of the municipal area, was dedicated to various uses throughout different periods, since it was a comedy corral, a town cinema and a tobacco dryer for the entire South of the Island, among other activities.
