To make way for the San Juan cemetery, one of the eleven windmills had to be disassembled, which was located on Silvestre Casanova’s property. The windmills were strategically placed side by side, taking advantage of the Trade winds, in what was later called the Llano de Los Molinos.
Initially, the cemetery consisted of four walls. A central chapel, presided over by the Christ of the Executed, was later added. This image was previously housed in the Socorro chapel of the La Concepción church. Opposite Candilas Street, there stood a gallows where criminals were executed. Before their punishment, they were taken to visit Christ, which led to the image being named “the Executed.”
In front of the chapel, priests were buried, with the first being cleric Don Nicolás Amaral in 1815.
In July 1814, the first administrator who also served at the Emita de San Juan and in the new cemetery was the priest Don José Hernández, who passed away the following year. He was succeeded on July 21, 1815, by the Lagunero cleric Don Cándido Rodríguez Suárez. The cemetery underwent renovations in 1903, doubling its size. Over time, its upkeep declined until it was taken over by Mr. Vicente Álvarez González-Falcón, popularly known as Mr. Vicente Falcón. He began working in the cemetery at the age of thirty, unpaid for twenty-five years. Until his retirement at over eighty years old, he held various positions such as councillor-delegate, inspector of the cemeteries in La Laguna, Valle de Guerra, Tejina, and Punta del Hidalgo, and finally as administrator.
The cemetery’s records
Mr. Vicente started by repairing the deteriorated paths, landscaping spaces, expanding the number of niches, and importantly, organising the burial records. This crucial task was carried out alongside municipal official Juan Luis Martín Hernández, allowing us today to know the exact locations of those buried during that period until the cemetery closed for burials in 1981.
Whenever someone expressed fear about entering the cemetery, Mr. Vicente always responded, “You should fear the living, not the dead.”
San Juan neighbourhood: An industrial hub
Several industries were established on this street over the years, adjacent to Vidriera de Canarias and El Tejar, near the cemetery. “Floresta,” a company specialising in flower packaging for export, settled in this area due to its proximity to Los Rodeos Airport and the transformation of the San Juan neighbourhood into the city’s industrial zone after the war. Viblocan was another industry that manufactured sandy-coloured blocks using gravel from the southern part of the island. It was located on a plain, now leading up to the Coromoto neighbourhood.
San Juan: A community-focused neighbourhood
Most buildings along this street in the San Juan neighbourhood, stretching to Los Molinos square, are now part of the Padre Anchieta industrial estate. The area previously housed various industries, a cemetery, and the Hermitage of San Juan. This historic neighbourhood in La Laguna has become known for its community spirit, demonstrated during tragic plane accidents at Los Rodeos Airport, where the hermitage served as a makeshift morgue.
One such incident occurred on May 5, 1965, resulting in the loss of 29 lives, with three more fatalities in subsequent days. The local community rallied around the affected families and authorities, showcasing the support and solidarity ingrained in this neighbourhood. The funerals took place at the Holy Cathedral Church, officiated by Bishop Luis Franco Cascón.
Another aviation tragedy struck La Laguna on December 3, 1972, involving the Convair Coronado 990 aircraft of the former Spantax company on the Tenerife-Munich route. An engine explosion during takeoff led to the deaths of 148 passengers and 7 crew members. Similar to the 1965 accident, the bodies were initially brought to the parish of San Juan, and uniquely, they were later transported to the deceased’s places of origin.
The Legacy of Pablo Iglesias
Pablo Iglesias Posse, born in Ferrol on October 17, 1850, and passed away in Madrid on December 9, 1925, was a linotypist by trade. He founded the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) on May 2, 1879 at the renowned Casa Labra tavern on Tetuán Street in central Madrid. In 1888, he established the General Workers’ Union (UGT) and made history in 1910 as the first PSOE deputy in the Spanish Parliament.
A year following his demise, in July 1926, the San Cristóbal de La Laguna City Council decided to rename Ciprés Street, in the San Juan neighbourhood, in honour of Pablo Iglesias.
