Situated on the ancient route leading to Santa Cruz, atop a small wooded hill, folklore has it that the expedition led by Adelantado Alonso Fernández de Lugo rested at this spot before commencing the decisive conquest of Tenerife. It was here that a hermitage was later constructed, surrounded by a square, featuring a water well that attracted travellers passing through the area. During this time, Canon Samarinas led the Te-Deum in gratitude for the victory achieved, an important religious ceremony in which he was aided by other clergy and religious individuals accompanying the invading army (Rodriguez Moure).
THE SANCTUARY
Historians, primarily Núñez de la Peña, suggest that the initial hermitage built in honour of Our Lady of Grace was crafted from stone in 1507. Some researchers argue that such construction with those materials was improbable, which would imply it was the first church in Tenerife to be erected using stone, stone, and wood elements, even preceding the main parish of La Concepción and the convent of San Miguel de las Victorias (Santuario del Cristo). It is more likely that construction with these materials commenced around 1528, as indicated by Bishop Fray Francisco de Zamora’s visit on July 7 of that year. Subsequently, one year after this visit, Antón Funes, as its steward, initiated its renovation. The carpenter Cristóbal Ruiz was entrusted with the woodwork in 1531, Francisco Hernández undertook the stonework, and Juan González managed the masonry (Cioranescu).
Like many structures from that era, the hermitage could not withstand the ravages of time, requiring extensive remodelling between 1700 and 1714. Further enhancements occurred in 1781 when the first two bells were acquired, and the sacristy was erected. The primary chapel was constructed with its central arch dividing the sanctuary from the congregation area, and a dressing room was added for the Virgin.
A severe storm struck La Laguna on September 7, 1826, resulting in the destruction of the Arabic tile roof, with two gables over the nave and four gables above the chapel.
Following a period of abandonment due to secularization, lasting almost a century, the Oblate nuns of the Most Holy Redeemer took over the premises upon their arrival in the city in 1924. The church was entrusted to the nuns by Bishop Fray Albino to serve as a chapel for their Institute. A building adjacent to the historic hermitage was constructed by the religious order in 1926, with another building added later on the opposite side. The traditional Canarian balcony characteristic of the old church was removed. These new structures altered the historical ambiance and were intended for the accommodation of 18 Oblate nuns and 80 inmates following a reformatory regime. This arrangement restricted visits from locals and faithful individuals to a two-hour window in the mornings, thereby disrupting a centuries-old tradition.
Subsequently, after the Oblates of the Most Holy Redeemer vacated the premises, several renovations were undertaken in the church, resulting in the hermitage being in excellent condition today. Elevated to parish status on July 8, 2001, with Don Felipe Fernández García serving as the bishop of the Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna. The property, inclusive of Related Movable Property and its Surroundings, was classified as a Cultural Heritage site with the status of a monument on May 9, 2006.
THE ICON OF OUR LADY OF GRACE
In 1541, the image of Our Lady of Grace was brought to La Laguna from Flanders, supplanting a smaller figure that previously graced the altar. With time, the statue was adorned with a mantle, although the carving was not initially intended for such attire. The original image depicted the Virgin carrying the Child Jesus, though the infant figure disappeared in the 18th century. From then onwards, the Virgin was portrayed holding a rose and a book in her hands.
For numerous centuries, Our Lady of Grace was paraded through the streets of La Laguna, primarily during times of drought that afflicted the Island. The original image also featured in processions in 1532 and 1539. The new image was paraded in prayer due to droughts in 1670, 1673, 1693, and 1711.
The festivities in tribute to the Virgin of Gracia were traditionally held at the hermitage and its environs every March 25, drawing participants from the parish of Los Remedios. Since 1680, the celebrations have been shifted to the first Sunday in August, as adverse weather conditions hampered their observance on the prior date.
THE NEIGHBOURHOOD THRIVES AROUND THE HERMITAGE
In the vicinity of the original Gracia hermitage, two kilometres from the historic heart of La Laguna, one of its earliest neighbourhoods took shape, comprising El Hoyo de Gracia, Lomo Guirre, La Hornera, and more recently, Cercado Mesa. Today, this area is home to the Provincial Historical Institute, the IES Domingo Pérez Minik, various university faculties, the Astrophysical Institute of the Canary Islands, the Museum of Sciences and the Cosmos, the farm (where the almond tree stood), and the residence of the Estevanez family.
A critical figure in the establishment of this neighbourhood was Clemencia Hardinsson, a Franco-Belgian aristocrat born in La Laguna in 1908, who resided in the Gracia District where her family owned substantial land. She generously donated a portion of this land to low-income residents of the area, enabling them to construct their homes, under the condition that they paid five pesetas, covering the cost of the property deeds.
Lamentably, apart from the hermitage and the refurbished but unused Estévanez family home, the neighbourhood’s development has been marred by the emergence of some “dreadful buildings of questionable architecture” (Adrián Alemán), as spotlighted in a poignant narrative by Professor Melchor Padilla, who actively campaigns for the restoration of the surroundings surrounding the iconic hermitage that serves as the heart of this La Laguna neighbourhood.
As poet and resident of the Gracia District, Nicolás Estévanez y Murphy, penned beneath the shade of the almond tree on his estate, quite possibly gazing at the scenic vista before him, featuring a hermitage atop a hill, unfettered by any obstruction (1838-1914):
“My homeland is neither the world; my homeland is not Europe; “My homeland is crafted of an almond tree/the sweet fresh, unforgettable shadow.”
