Garachico
Tenerife |
|
Hover over the image for an enlargement |
|
|
Garachico, once the principal port of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, dates from 1496, when the Adelantado Fernández de Lugo ceded a wide area of terrain to three Genovese bankers Cristóbal de Ponte, Viña and Interina, considered as the founders of the Villa. They prospered rapidly and Garachico became fabously rich, specially from the sugar cane plantations and its export, together with the wine of Icod, and the excellent cove of its harbour. The first temple in Garachico was the church of San Pedro, that probably existed before 1500; built into a parochial church in 1514 by the bishop Arce. Less ancient, but no less important is the church of Santa Ana, on which construction began in 1530. Also in the XVI century, Franciscan, Dominic and Augustine convents are founded, the latter together with schools. In the past Garachico had a notable economic development due to the work of the engineers and the activity of the harbour, in defence of which a castle was built. Garachico was the commercial capital of Tenerife until in 1706 when Teide erupted sending rivers of lava towards the town which destroyed a large part of the agricultural terrain and its port, of great commercial importance, ending the Garachico's prosperity. |
|
