One of the empty classrooms at CEIP José Pérez Rodríguez, in Igueste de San Andrés, will host an interpretation centre aimed at spreading the history of the Semaphore and the Watchtowers in the Anaga massif. Telegraphs, flags, photographs, and models are some of the materials that will be exhibited in the Museum House, which is expected to become a reality this year. Santa Cruz City Council’s participatory budgets approved the proposal of the Colectivo Semáforo de La Atalaya. The group protecting a heritage site included in the National Heritage Red List sought a location to display the collection that, together with the San Pedro Seniors Association, they have managed to rescue since they were submitted to the General Registry of the Council on April 5, 2018.
The classroom, used up until now by the neighbourhood association and as a kind of storage room, will undergo a reform to prepare the area to exhibit the pieces as a museum. One of the advantages is that it will have a separate entrance from the school and, therefore, can be used as an isolated space outside of school hours. Samuel Suárez, coordinator of the Anaga District Council, states that the project is authorised for two years with a further two-year extension. “It’s a shame that such a large centre has wasted and empty spaces”, he argues. This same reason motivated Javier de Vega, promoter of the Colectivo Semáforo de la Atalaya along with Mari Carmen León, to create a proposal for the potential design and layout of the upcoming Museum House based on the lookout activity in Anaga.
“The name interpretation centre sounds like something very grand, but that’s how it was presented because it will be an important support to the collective memory of the Massif”, explains the person in charge of formulating the proposal. Furthermore, he emphasises that it will also be a socioeconomic resource and a differentiating element of the location. Both he and the other creator of the project agree that the space could have complementary functions linked to environmental education training or information about the Rural Park, its history, and the range of paths that traverse its valleys.
Participatory Budgets
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Santa Cruz de Tenerife‘s Participatory Budgets allow citizens to make decisions on how municipal resources will be allocated. The 541 initiatives presented this year far exceed the 299 from the 2022-2023 edition. The Anaga District was the one that presented the most ideas, including that of the Colectivo de Igueste de San Andrés, framed within the new city line and approved by vote. Samuel Pérez clarifies that the district council’s role is to deal with the negotiations with the Collective. Afterwards, the Autonomous Culture Organisation will be responsible for the assembly.
“Setting up the space for the maritime collection will be a significant support to the Massif’s collective memory”
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The Semaphore and the Watchtower are some of the remnants that are still preserved from the capital’s maritime tradition, partly thanks to the work of groups like the one led by Javier de Vega and Mari Carmen León. In 2021, the Economy and Treasury Delegation of Santa Cruz published in the BOE the sale of several properties, including the Punta de Anaga Semaphore. The efforts made by the collective to suspend the auction resulted in the suspension of the allocation after an institutional agreement supported by all the groups represented in the City Council.
Rehabilitation and Social Dynamics
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The neighbourhood demands did not stop there, and in November 2023, Urbanism approved the project for the rehabilitation of the 129-year-old Semaphore. Architect Carlos Pallés anticipates that the improvements they are working on will strengthen the structure and make use of the mast to provide coverage to the area.
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The iconic building is fondly remembered by those living in Igueste. Therefore, the Government of the Canary Islands is working on other initiatives like The Semaphore and Me, a workshop where residents share knowledge about its history. Thus, the restoration was combined with social activities held at the village’s school to achieve maximum community involvement. The pinnacle of the work will be reached when the interpretation centre becomes a reality, a goal that Maria del Carmen León expresses they have been fighting for for several years.
