The Cabildo of Tenerife has commenced the process for declaring an asset of cultural interest (BIC), designated as a monument, for “the sculpture of Juan de Ávalos García Taborda” located in Santa Cruz, commonly referred to as “monument to Franco”.
This announcement appears in the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands and is in response to the ruling by the Administrative Litigation Court 3 of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, which deems that this monument may be eligible for protection through the BIC designation.
This initiative was taken at the request of the Royal Canarian Academy of Fine Arts San Miguel Arcángel and the Association for the Research and Protection of the San Miguel Arcángel Heritage, following the Tenerife Cabildo’s prior reluctance to initiate the procedure in the previous term, overseen by Pedro Martín (PSOE).
In a report issued on September 12, the technical unit for Historical Heritage of the Cabildo of Tenerife provides a description of the sculptural composition, featuring the image of an angel whose wings support “the figure of a man, upright, who wields a sword.”
The report also notes that the concept for its development originated in 1964, advocated by the then civil governor Juan Pablo Abril.
Furthermore, it states that concerning the iconographic interpretation of the monument, “no consensus exists”, particularly regarding whether it is indeed dedicated to Franco.
On one side, the Cabildo of Tenerife’s report references an article from the newspaper La Vanguardia dated March 17, 1966, which explains that the monument signifies “Franco, the valiant captain, emblem of guidance and command; his sword shaped like a cross, as he was embarking on a Crusade to defend the high values of the nation; the aircraft that transported them from the Canary Islands, represented by an archangel, since its mechanical wings were fortuitous that day; and finally, that cascade of water, a tribute to the heroes who, in an unrestrained march, placed themselves under the command of the courageous captain.”
Conversely, it references “other reports” indicating that the work is titled ‘Monument to the Peace of Tenerife’, as listed in the inventory of Juan de Ávalos’s works, and that the human figure, based on its physical characteristics, cannot be associated with Franco, being, in some interpretations, seen as “a friar bearing a cross.”
These other reports, which are not identified by the Cabildo of Tenerife, also assert that the angelic figure “is not inherently a Christian symbol, as it is present in various other religions,” and argue that it does not serve to glorify the Franco regime due to the absence of any specific iconographic elements.
The process for acquiring the BIC designation for this sculptural ensemble will necessitate consultation with the University of La Laguna, which previously included this monument in its catalogue of Francoist remnants, a designation that has since been nullified by the current Government of the Canary Islands (CC-PP); the Autonomous Organisation of Museums of Santa Cruz, the Provincial College of Architects, and the Royal Academy of Fine Arts San Miguel Arcángel will also contribute their views.
Beyond the Canary Islands, both the National Museum of Sculpture (Valladolid) and the Royal Academy of Extremadura will be consulted, considering that Juan de Ávalos hails from Mérida.
