The journey along the Cañizares Fountain path starts where Tabares Bartlett Avenue concludes and finishes at its intersection with the route leading to the San Diego hermitage, at the top of Vega Lagunera. Together with Avenida de La Universidad (Camino Largo), Tabares Bartlett, Concepción Salazar, and Camino de Las Peras, this area is renowned as the green lung of the City. This location has historically been a popular summer retreat for Santa Cruz residents, fostering a youthful and natural leisurely atmosphere in the municipality.
Ascending on the left side, we encounter the football field adjacent to Francisco Peraza (Campo de La Manzanilla). Sporting facilities such as the Canarian Weightlifting Federation and the Specialized Sports Technology Center (CETD) of the Government of the Canary Islands are established on land that was once donated by the La Laguna City Council. Along this path, chalet-style residences with gardens and trees line both sides.
THE HISTORIC 16TH CENTURY FOUNTAIN
To the right of this path stands the renowned Cañizares Fountain, built in the 16th century and named after the governor of Tenerife, Don Fernando Cañizares, who commissioned its construction in 1558, a year before his passing. Symbolizing the resourcefulness and necessity of the City’s early settlers in sourcing potable water for the community, livestock, and agriculture, the fountain was designed with a system of channels that directed water flow from the base of a stone pond. According to journalist and writer Domingo G. Barbuzano, in a Cabildo agreement dated June 30, 1713, the fountain underwent a thorough cleaning and restoration of its walls due to sediment accumulation and leaks. The restoration works were executed in 1776, as commemorated by a plaque positioned above the central doorway.
In the Vega Lagunera area, alongside the Fuente de los Berros, the Cañizares Fountain was inaugurated in 1510-1511 by the decree of canon Alonso de Samarinas. Additional water sources catering to the City’s water supply included the Pozo del Cabildo, commissioned by General Commander Félix Nieto de Silva in 1610, and the Madre del Agua well, dating back to the 18th century and under the jurisdiction of the Cabildo. These facilities marked the initial endeavors to provide water to the City’s inhabitants.
La Laguna boasted other water springs as well, like those of Monte de Las Mercedes and Las Negras, situated in the region identified as Bronco-Lomo Largo, where local women used three out of the four ponds for laundry purposes. The Sierra del Obispo in Monte de Las Mercedes, denominated as such because Adelantado Alonso Fernández de Lugo granted the place to the Canary Islands’ bishop, served as a significant water source for the fountain in Plaza de San Miguel de los Ángeles (Plaza del Adelantado). Through the network of canals established on El Agua Street, this source would supply the residents of Villa de Abajo.
TALES AND MYTHS SURROUNDING THE CAÑIZARES FOUNTAIN
Over time, the water flow from the fountain waned…legend had it that during full moon nights, the water would burst forth vigorously. It was rumored that local witches gathered there on the first full moon of summer. Additionally, the elderly inhabitants gathered daily until dusk, seated on the stones that served as a bench adjacent to the fountain, akin to their meetings at the patience bench in Plaza del Cristo, listening to the tales of “Cho Luciano Morales”. Conversations often revolved around crop and water concerns. During the 1980s renovation of the path, the area was paved, with sidewalks constructed on either side. The façade of the fountain was embellished with a broad stone sidewalk created from cobblestones extracted from the streets of the historic centre. Traditional Fernandino street lamps were installed along with a stone bench, replacing the former stones.
Although the Cañizares Fountain, once property of the erstwhile Cabildo and now under the administration of La Laguna’s City Council, has remained dormant for an extended period, it briefly functioned as a plant nursery for municipal gardens and a sanctuary for ailing ducks from the now-defunct pond in Plaza de La Catedral. Numerous voices, particularly from local residents, advocate for the restoration of the fountain’s beloved original facilities into an ethnographic museum, accessible for educational visits showcasing the innovative methods employed by the City’s forefathers in securing potable water. The revival of this space holds paramount importance for the municipality, entwined as it is with the rich history of this ancient City.
