The Cha Marta ravine served as the “natural boundary” between the historic centre of the City and the San Juan neighbourhood, the oldest in the municipality. Some parts of it were challenging to traverse due to being rendered impassable by heavy rains.
Before the street was paved, the bridge over Núñez de la Peña Street, despite the scarcity of vehicles in those times, would often witness real traffic congestion, making it difficult for pedestrians to cross. Locals remembered that Núñez de la Peña Street was formerly referred to as “Piche Street”, hence when the bridge was repaired, it was colloquially renamed back to “Piche Street”. The issue was resolved permanently when the ravine was fully channelled.
The Interior Reform Plan of La Laguna included the construction of a twelve-meter wide road over the Cha Marta ravine, stretching from Juana Blanca Street to its intersection with San Antonio to San Juan, linking to Calle del Juego, maintaining a consistent breadth throughout. The entire ravine had to be channelled to facilitate the construction of this road.
Commencement of Cha Marta Canyon Renovations
The renovation works were executed in three phases as per the City Council’s agreement (Corporation 1979-1983). The first phase began at Candilas with the Núñez de la Peña section. The most challenging aspect was resolving the issue mentioned earlier, which posed a real problem for the neighbourhood during the rainy seasons. The significant works initiated in 1981, costing 22,836,237 pesetas, involved levelling the ravine by installing two fixed bridges, conducting hydrological studies, and addressing the crucial point of contention, the crossing with Núñez de la Peña, by providing the channel bottom with two slopes. In the subsequent year (1982), work was undertaken to channel the second section, Núñez de la Peña at its junction with the Game, costing 14,497,579 pesetas.
The third and final phase focused on developing the street, featuring a two-lane carriageway, parking spaces, sidewalks on both sides, and the installation of public lighting.
The pedestrianization of the historic centre of the City would not have been feasible without these renovations. It was noted that vehicles from Santa Cruz, the North, and the Northeast areas of the municipality used to traverse the central streets of the historic centre of La Laguna. As such, incorporating Calle 6 de Diciembre into the municipal road was pivotal.
The name December 6th, commemorating the date of approval by the Spanish people in a referendum of the 1978 Constitution, was adopted based on recommendations received from the National Government at the time to local authorities. This was to enhance the consolidation of the democratic process of ’78 by assigning new infrastructural names tied to the Magna Carta.
On the right side of this street, there was originally the “Garden City of San Honorato”, an urban development championed by the guild of Lagunero bakers. Construction commenced on October 18, 1960.
After the urbanization project was completed in the 1980s, the street was transformed into a modern thoroughfare that significantly diverted traffic away from the historic centre of La Laguna, especially vehicles from the North of the Island.
Currently, in 2024, paving works have been conducted on Calle 6 de Diciembre, with widened sidewalks to enhance accessibility and safety for both vehicles and pedestrians.
Enter the Game Street
6 de Diciembre Street culminates where Game Street commences. Initially, this route was half a ravine and half an old esplanade stretching from Trinidad to Calle de San Juan.
The moniker Calle del Juego stems from the fact that it was historically where the “game of balls” was played. This sport was introduced to the Canary Islands by the earliest settlers and evolved into a popular local game that has endured over the centuries with high participation rates. This game was traditionally played on the extensive esplanade that occupied a considerable portion of what is now Calle El Juego.
On this street, in the area where the old Barranco Cha Marta did not pass through, stood the siphon and chocolate factory owned by a company led by the Lagunero industrialist, Mr. Ángel Núñez. This enterprise provided employment to numerous individuals, particularly women hailing from the San Juan neighbourhood.
At number 14, a new shopping arcade was constructed in the 1970s, housing several cinemas. This building’s main entrance faces Calle de Los Herradores, connecting with Calle El Juego.
Prior to the construction of a modern edifice, now denoted by number 16, a citadel with small residential units flanking a central corridor stood. This architectural model was atypical in our City and this type of construction became obsolete with the demise of this particular structure, which was inspired by Andalusian architecture.
Until the late 20th century, the last cart driver in La Laguna resided in one of the houses on this street, Don Sebastián Galván. In his distinctive occupation of transporting various goods, such as furniture, in a mule-drawn cart, along with construction materials, the aforementioned animal would spend nights in the courtyard of his home.
