SANTA CRUZ DE TENERIFE 4 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Cabildo of Tenerife has commenced the process for the declaration of Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC), categorised as a monument, for the sculpture created by Juan de Ávalos situated at the intersection of Avenida de Anaga and Rambla de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, commonly referred to as the ‘Franco monument’.
This information was disclosed in an announcement published on Friday in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands (BOC), in accordance with a ruling from June by the Contentious-Administrative Court Number 3 which reviewed the request for protection put forth by the Association for the Investigation and Protection of Historical Heritage of San Miguel Arcángel, highlighting its artistic significance.
The Cabildo, under the governance of CC and PP, will seek opinions from various entities including the University of La Laguna, the Autonomous Organisation of Museums, the Official College of Architects of Tenerife, La Gomera and El Hierro, the Royal Canarian Academy of Fine Arts of San Miguel Arcángel, the National Museum of Sculpture, and the Royal Academy of Extremadura.
The report from the Historical Heritage Technical Unit of the Cabildo de Tenerife, which advocates for the initiation of the investigation, acknowledges that “there is no consensus” regarding the iconographic interpretation of the sculpture.
On one hand, a review published in the newspaper ‘La Vanguardia’ in 1966 references the work: “Franco, the fearless captain, symbol of direction and leadership; his sword shaped like a cross, as he bore it in defence of the noble values of the homeland they endeavoured to pursue; the plane that transported them from the Canary Islands, represented by an archangel, as its mechanical wings were fortuitous that day, ultimately that cascade, a reminder of the heroes who embarked on an intrepid march under the orders of the valiant captain”.
Conversely, other reports contest Franco’s glorification, asserting that the name of the artwork is ‘Monument to the Peace of Tenerife’, as listed in the inventory of works by Juan de Ávalos, and that the human figure, due to its physical characteristics, does not correspond to Franco except as “a friar carrying a cross.”
The initiative to erect the sculptural group originated in 1964 at the behest of the civil governor, Juan Pablos Abril, who established a pro-monument committee that included, among others, sculptor Alfredo Reyes Darias, professor Jesús Hernández Perera, and Miguel Pintor González, director of the Board of Works of the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
Following that meeting, sculptor Juan de Ávalos y García-Taborda was suggested, taking into account the recognition he had at that time, and the complex was inaugurated on 16 March 1966 by mayor Pedro Doblado.
