Every year, in the municipality of the orotava, the villeros and visitors look forward to the time of year when its streets are transformed into ephemeral but vibrant canvases. The magnificent tapestry of La Orotava is a tradition deeply rooted in the area, which has captivated locals and strangers for 176 years. However, this year the creation of these masterpieces was marked by a challenge: The rain.
Domingo González Expósito, the current director of the Tapestry, explained how the rain affected the edges of the tapestry and delayed the creation process, alarming the population and the artists involved. However, he assures that the situation has been successfully overcome.
“Rain is an ever-present unforeseen event. Even if we have tents or awnings, it is a situation that we must take into account”, stated the director. In addition, he pointed out that birds and lizards can also cause small damage, but that the team is prepared to know how to work and solve possible problems.
It is important to remember that La Orotava’s climate is not the driest on the island, which adds an additional challenge in production. Therefore, everything is meticulously organized in advance. The team of carpet makers estimates to finish as early as possible on a Wednesday to ensure that Thursday can be enjoyed to the fullest by both the villeros and all the visitors. This planning also allows you to address any issues that may arise during the process.
Regarding decision-making, Domingo stressed that the company in charge of removing the tents needed two days to carry out the task. Therefore, the weather situation is constantly monitored. In the previous days, the chances of rain were very low, with an announcement of only a 30% chance, and 0.1 mm of precipitation. In addition, when evaluating that the arrival of the Oscar storm was expected the previous week, with a 100% probability and 0.4 mm of precipitation, whose tangible damage in that part of the island was minimal, the 30% probability did not seem to be a significant problem.
The director explained the approach followed in these situations: “If the sky is overcast or cloudy in the morning and a substantial improvement is not expected, the tents are not removed”. However, on this occasion, June 12 dawned clear, but the weather changed suddenly in the middle of the morning, when they began to remove the tents, and at 2:00 p.m. it began to rain.
Although the responsibility always falls on the director, all decisions are made by consensus and different situations are raised. The priority is usually to finish the tapestry before Wednesday, since if the tent is removed on a Tuesday it will not be possible to finish it until Thursday. Fortunately, the result was interesting and even gratifying after seeing the number of people who came to show their support.
This complication also motivates the team to continue looking for alternatives to cover the position. Architects and engineers from different parts of Spain have carried out studies, but a viable solution has not yet been found due to the dimensions and the particular shape of the square. Despite this, everyone remains motivated to find an efficient solution that encourages progress in creating this beautiful custom and providing greater protection and security every year.
Domingo González Expósito described the result of the great tapestry as “a naturist art”. Well, it is “a mixture of the rain with the earth itself with which the carpet is made, another natural element. Both have merged to create color effects that, although not to everyone’s taste, have given it a different and innovative touch”.
Fortunately, from Tuesday night, the rain stopped, which allowed to successfully solve the works of Tuesday night and Wednesday. The end result was the fusion of two art forms, often referred to by carpet artists as “the ephemeral art of carpets”.
Despite the challenges they face, the Alfombras de La Orotava and the Tapestry of the Town Hall continue to captivate all those who visit the area. These one-of-a-kind creations reflect the passion, dedication, and ingenuity of local artists, who work tirelessly to preserve and enhance this age-old tradition. One more year the tradition has been completed and left a lasting mark on the public.
The most supportive tapestry of La Orotava
One of the novelties this year in the central tapestry of the Plaza del Ayuntamiento de La Orotava was the placement of pink recycled plastic on the occasion of the fight against cancer. A solidarity initiative that took place this Wednesday, with the participation of people from the Villa who have overcome or are fighting the disease.
The director of the carpet, Domingo González Expósito, invited them to participate in the placement of the pink recycled plastic in the two small borders set up for this purpose in the two corners of the main canvas of the carpet.
