Under the motto Honoring the past, looking to the future, the Canary Islands Command has organized a series of events to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the transfer of the Captaincy to the capital of Tenerifewhich in 1723 passed from La Laguna to the coastal town of the Island at that time.
To celebrate this anniversary, the capital of Tenerife It will host a series of events that, between November 3 and 10, will bring citizens closer to the military history that surrounded this relocation of the Captaincy headquarters and that brought with it notable civil improvements for Santa Cruz.
The chief of the General Staff of the Canary Islands Command HeadquartersLuis Cortés explained yesterday that “the organized milestones will focus on open days at the General Captaincy Palace, where a historical-photographic exhibition will be located in the central courtyard, coordinated by Colonel Jesús Castillo, in which to learn about many of the works that were promoted by the captains general in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.”
The exhibition, which will open on November 6, can be visited between 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m., Monday to Friday, and from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on weekends, all under the accompaniment of an instrumental group from the Unidad de Music of the Canary Islands Command.
Meanwhile, on November 7, a conference by Colonel Jesús Castillo will take place at the Real Casino of Tenerife, followed by a music concert by the Canary Islands Command at the Palacio de Capitanía the next day.
November 9 will be the main event of this tercentenary, with the solemn raising of the Spanish flag in Weyler Square and a relay of the historic Guard thanks to the collaboration of the Association of the Gesta 25 de Julio. “It will be a curious act in which past and present will come together,” stressed the chief of the General Staff of the Canary Islands Command Headquarters. That same day there will be a floral offering in the church of La Concepción, specifically at the tomb of General Antonio Gutiérrez who led the defeat of Admiral Horacio Nelson, on July 25, 1797.
The main objective of this initiative is to disseminate among the population, especially among the youth – who are more unaware of the city’s past -, the contributions that the military command made to the current capital, through the construction and promotion of infrastructure. keys for the population, such as the bringing of water from Mount Aguirre, the pier, the Alameda, the Hospicio San Carlos or the Zurita bridge, among others.
In this sense, Castillo stressed that “the growth of Santa Cruz de Tenerife occurred as a result of the establishment of the Captaincy in this enclave.”
The Captaincy remained in Las Palmas until 1656, when Captain General Dávila decided to move to La Laguna. In this last location it remained until 1723, when it was located in Santa Cruz de Tenerife.
