Tenerife harbours many corners with a long and rich history. While much has been said about its natural heritage, the island also hosts buildings that have stood the test of time… some of which now lie abandoned. The capital of Tenerife, Santa Cruz, is home to several such buildings that await attention to restore them to their former glory.
In the Ángel Guimerá area stands the old Treasury building. It was home to CajaCanarias from 1940 to 1980, and later the headquarters of the Government of the Canary Islands in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife from 1980 to 2008. Today, this building maintains its facade with expansive glass windows and its famous clock at the top, but inside, it only holds memories of its past.
Despite efforts by the Canary Islands Government to revive this building and equip it for administrative tasks once again, it remains abandoned. Stabilization work was done to address structural issues, and thanks to content creator Ratatour, we get a glimpse inside the building.
The interior of the armoured chamber / Ratatour
A Secure Door
Within a building of this nature, peculiar structures are commonplace. One such feature is a large safe, still equipped with its door and mechanism to open the vault from within, in case of an emergency closure with people inside. This feature aligns with the building’s history as the home of CajaCanarias and the Treasury.
Many rooms lie empty, while others still hold some furniture. Various symbols can be found in certain rooms, such as the coat of arms of the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife hanging on the wall, or a tattered flag of the Archipelago. This Ratatour showcases the current state of what remains of the auditorium or amphitheatre within the building.
The building, spanning nine floors and covering 4,300 square metres, features exposed brick in many areas. From the windows of the top floor, one can see the expansion of Santa Cruz on one side, and the port of the capital on the other.
The Clock and Bells
At the top of the building, you can spot the clock adorning the structure. Though currently inactive, it retains the mechanism that once kept time for the residents of Santa Cruz’s city centre.
Old Treasury building, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife / E. D.
This machinery dates back to the early days of the building when it housed CajaCanarias, preserving its original state and location. This, however, isn’t the only relic from that era. At the highest point of the building, the bells that once chimed at certain times of the day are still intact.
Inscribed on them are clues to their origin and creation year: Viuda de Murua, 1956. This company, founded in 1854, specialised in crafting clocks and bells under the artisan watchmaker and bell founder, Ignacio Murua. Ricardo demonstrates how despite years of silence, a gentle tap on the bell still produces a sound.
Bells on top of the old Treasury building / Ratatour
Towards the end of the video, the content creator captures various rooms within the building: a checkpoint housing old televisions, the entrance, and main staircases. The latter still exudes traces of its former grandeur, with different cornices and details on the walls and steps. The checkpoint reveals hints of its last occupants, like a newspaper from EL DÍA dating back to 2010.
This is just a glimpse of the vast heritage found in Tenerife. In this case, in its capital, Santa Cruz, a place that has seen better days and still holds onto a glimmer of hope, awaiting a comprehensive restoration expected to be completed by March 2026.
