La Orotava, being a town with a history and monuments that date back over 500 years, is home to various heritage treasures in its old town, one of the best-preserved in the Archipelago. Some of these treasures are grand and well-known, like the La Concepción church, a masterpiece of Canarian baroque, while others are smaller and simpler, often going unnoticed by both locals and tourists amidst a city striving for growth and modernisation without losing its identity and the ancient, noble essence that has always defined it.
One of these lesser-known, unique features that are almost exclusive to La Orotava on the island of Tenerife are the corner protectors, wooden embellishments that were traditionally placed on the corners of certain manor houses. Only five of these remain in the historic centre of La Orotava. During the last patron saint’s day celebration, one of these protectors at number 18 on Calle Tomás Zerolo, at the corner of Calle Ascanio, was vandalised and torn off by miscreants during the night.
This raucous festive occasion typically concludes with a night of indulgence and vandalism, resulting in damage to the town’s urban fixtures. Unfortunately, incidents like these are common during large festivals such as those celebrating San Isidro and Corpus Christi.
Thankfully, the owners of number 18 on Calle Tomás Zerolo managed to recover the torn-off corner protector, a piece of wood measuring approximately one metre in length. They plan to restore and replace it, as it is a finely crafted and ornamented piece.
This minor festive mishap serves as an opportunity to explore the intriguing corner protectors of the town, modest decorative elements that warrant greater recognition and preservation, especially considering that some of them are over 300 years old.
Corner of Viera and Tomás Zerolo streets, in the historic Casa Mesa.
Another of the old protections, between Salazar and Claudio streets. DA
This corner guard on Calle del Agua was torn off by some hooligans. DA
Doctor Domingo González Street and Salazar Street in La Orotava boast the most prominent corner guard. DA
In one of his many writings on La Orotava’s heritage, Sebastian Hernandez Gutierrez, a historian from La Orotava who served as a lecturer in Art History at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, discusses the corner guards. “During the 18th and 19th centuries, owners of buildings in the town, especially those situated on corner plots where two streets met, opted to install a wooden strip to shield the corners of their homes from the impact of axles and cart wheels that frequently brushed against them when navigating the corners,” explains Hernandez Gutierrez.
Back in the day, this was a common occurrence due to the steepness of many streets in the town. Additionally, with cobblestone pavements, cart wheels often skidded, particularly on rainy days. Streets like Tomás Zerolo or del Agua served as passageways for carts carrying wine barrels destined for the port of La Orotava, now known as Puerto de la Cruz, for export to England and even America. The wines from the Orotava Valley, especially Malvasia, as mentioned by William Shakespeare in one of his works, were renowned across half of Europe, bringing substantial wealth to landowners in Orotava.
Today, La Orotava’s historic ensemble retains five of these corner guards, termed as “heritage pieces of public adornment from bygone eras” by Professor Sebastian Hernandez Gutierrez. Common in their design, these corner guards consist of a wooden piece resembling a small column embedded in the wall and topped with a sphere, varying in height from one to two meters.
One of these guards is situated at the intersection of Doctor Domingo González and Salazar streets, attached to number 1 on the former, opposite the renowned gofio mill in Chano. This guard, though unadorned, is the largest, measuring approximately two meters. It is affixed to a building of significant heritage value, the González García house, a fine representation of Canarian domestic architectural style from the late 18th century, which once housed the renowned doctor Domingo González García in the 20th century, after whom the street is named.
Another guard can be found nearby, as you head towards Cruz del Teide, at number 31 on the same Calle Salazar, on the corner with Calle Claudio. Smaller and less elaborate, it stands in stark contrast to the elegant and ornate guard located at number 3 Calle León, on the corner with Calle San Agustín, close to Plaza de la Constitución or the Kiosk. This guard protects the corner of a grand 19th-century building with classical influences that housed the Tafuriaste Museum among various commercial establishments.
Descending Calle Tomás Zerolo, at number 18, an 18th-century mansion reveals another corner guard, slightly smaller and thicker than the rest, vandalized during recent festivities, yet retaining its elegance and decorative features.
Lastly, at the end of the same Calle del Agua, on the corner with Calle Viera, within the historic Casa de Mesa, opposite the church of Santo Domingo, the fifth and largest corner guard, standing at approximately a meter and a half, is preserved. Although rougher and simpler, lacking the sphere at the top, it is likely the oldest. This Casa de Mesa, dating back to the 16th century, was once the residence of the conqueror Diego de Mesa. It ranks among the oldest heritage monuments in La Orotava, featuring a prominent stone doorway in Plateresque style flanked by fluted Corinthian columns.
La Orotava’s old town, a picturesque urban treasure trove, conceals an array of historical and artistic marvels, many of which blend seamlessly into the modern cityscape, such as these intriguing corner guards. They are a part of the public heritage that all Canarians should discover, appreciate, and preserve.
