Holy Cross of La Palma

Santa Cruz de La Palma is a Spanish municipality and town, capital of the island of La Palma, administratively attached to and belonging to the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (Canary Islands).

It was founded on May 3, 1493 under the name Villa de Apurón on a beach located in a bay that served as a natural port. Later, and as Santa Cruz de La Palma, King Felipe II would grant it the title of Very Noble and Loyal. The municipality is currently the second most populous on the island of La Palma, after Los Llanos de Aridane.

This municipality is home to the headquarters of the Cabildo de La Palma (governing body of the island), as well as other important political, cultural and sports institutions for the island. In its municipal area there is also the Royal Sanctuary of the Virgen de las Nieves, patron saint of La Palma.

Toponymy

The area where the town of Santa Cruz de La Palma is located belonged to the aboriginal canton of Tedote, one of the twelve territorial demarcations into which the island of La Palma was divided in times of the Benahoaritas, the aborigines from La Palma.

The current city was founded by the conquistador Alonso Fernández de Lugo on May 3, 1493, the day of the Invention of the Holy Cross in the Catholic calendar. Most researchers agree that it was founded under the name Villa de Apurón. Although, in a data from 1508 it is already mentioned as Villa de Santa Cruz, later it is mentioned again as Villa de Apurón in a synod of the bishop of the Canary Islands Fernando Vázquez de Arce carried out between 1514 and 1515. This is probably due to the fact that despite the fact that its original name was Apurón, was also popularly known from the beginning by the name of Santa Cruz, due to the day it was founded and the latter name prevailing over the previous one with the passage of time. Despite this, according to other researchers the city was founded as Villa de Santa Cruz and the name Apurón would rather be some popularized and vulgar idiom of the colloquial language of the moment.

In a Royal Cell of Emperor Charles V (1533) it was mentioned again as Villa de Santa Cruz, and in 1542 the name of the island was also included: Noble city of Santa Cruz, island of Señor de San Miguel de La Palma, the latter clearly to differentiate it from the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife located on the island of the same name.

Physical geography and features

The city is located on the eastern slope of the island of La Palma, of which the Cabildo is the capital, between the Risco de la Concepción, on the edge of La Caldereta (former volcanic caldera), and the Barranco Seco. Part of the city and the port are located on the old La Caldereta lava spill, cooled abruptly when the part of the wall that remains to the northeast broke, with which the lava quickly reached the sea where it formed a basaltic flow. It enjoys a mild climate throughout the year, although it is common for its sky to be covered by clouds due to the influence of the trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean.

The municipality has an area of 43.38 km², with 4.03 km of coastline and a population of 15,695 inhabitants (INE, January 2020), of whom 15,000 reside in the city and the rest in the peripheral neighborhoods. The urban nucleus is at sea level, but the municipal territory extends up to 1800 m of altitude.

The main neighborhoods are:

• The urban hull, with the small neighborhoods of: The Light, San Telmo, San Sebastián, The Bridge, Benahoare, The Alameda, La Calle Real, The Pilar and The Marquito.
• On the outskirts are the neighborhoods of Calsinas, Velhoco, The Snows, The Dehesa, The Incarnation, The Plant, El Carmen and Mirca.

History

It was founded on May 3, 1493 by the Adelantado Alonso Fernández de Lugo under the name Villa de Apurón, at the mouth of the stream where the cave of the former chief of the kingdom of Tedote (the current Cueva de Carías, to the north of the city) and was in charge, like the rest of the island, of Juan Fernández de Lugo Señorino, nephew of the conqueror. The choice of this place to establish the capital was due to the port characteristics of the enclave, protected from the winds and ideal for ships to dock. There is evidence of the existence of the main church, El Salvador, since 1512.

The city grew rapidly thanks to its port, which was the last on the route to America, and through which the sugar cane produced on the island was exported.

The city was destroyed in 1553 by the pirate François Le Clerc, better known as Peg Leg, so it had to be rebuilt and fortified. Of the old fortifications, only the Castle of Santa Catalina and the Castle of Santa Cruz del Barrio remain, recently rehabilitated to the north of the mouth of the Barranco de Las Nieves, where remains of the wall and portal are also preserved.

In 1558, by decision of Felipe II, the first Court of the Indies was created in Santa Cruz de La Palma. All Spanish ships that went in trade to the American colonies had to register with the court.

Santa Cruz de La Palma is privileged to have the first democratically elected town hall in Spain, which was located in what is now known as Cueva de Carías, as confirmed by a plaque on the entrance of the current town hall. In 1773 the first elections by popular suffrage in all of Spain were held, after a lawsuit against the perpetual councilors of the city maintained by the merchant of Irish origin Dionisio O'Daly and Anselmo Pérez de Brito, who obtained a favorable resolution from the Crown of Castile.

View of Santa Cruz de La Palma towards 1890.

The economic crisis that the insular agrarian economy has suffered throughout its history, as well as the limited space to expand, have caused the population to stagnate. In 1900 it had about 11,000 inhabitants, only 7,000 less than now. The surrounding municipalities (Breña Alta and Breña Baja), which do have free space, have grown spectacularly in recent years as commuter towns.

When the military uprising of 1936 took place, which would continue the Spanish Civil War, the island of La Palma will resist the coup and maintain republican legality until July 25, when it arrives in the city of Santa Cruz de La Palma on gunboat Gutters. This episode will be known as Red Week.

In 1943, the Provincial Council overwhelmingly elected its mayor Rafael de la Barreda Diaz for the position of attorney in Cortes in the I Legislature of the Spanish Cortes (1943-1946), representing the Municipalities of this province.

After the democratic transition of 1975, and the first free municipal elections of 1979, the municipality was one of the first to have a PCE mayor.

The city suffered severe flooding in January 1998 from a spring tide combined with an ocean storm, which caused extensive property damage, though no deaths or damage to any buildings.

Mayors since 1979

Demographics

The actual population that according to the tables published by the National Institute of Statistics for 10 in 10 years, there was on November 1, 2011 amounted to 16,568 inhabitants, 8,061 men and 8,508 women.

Graphic of demographic evolution of Santa Cruz de La Palma (municipal) between 1857 and 2011

Population in fact according to population censuses of the INE.

Population by nuclei

Aerial view of Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Breakdown of the population according to the Continuous Register by INE Population Unit.

Culture

Theater Chico

The city has a rich artistic heritage of Renaissance, Baroque and Neoclassical styles, standing out in the architectural plan the set of the monumental Plaza de España, with the Matriz de El Salvador church, the Town Hall building, the stone fountain and several noble houses, which constitute the main example of Renaissance architecture in the Archipelago. The Quinta Verde is also important, the most representative example in the Canary Islands of the architectural type of suburban villa.

The main artery of the city is made up of O'Daly and Anselmo Pérez de Brito streets, popularly known as "Calle Real" after the visit in 1906 of Alfonso XIII. Here we find a large number of buildings of great interest: The Sotomayor Palace with its basalt stone facade, The Main House of Salazar with its 4 floors of balconies, the Plaza de España complex, La Investigadora Society, the Plaza del Borrero, the Wide Sidewalk, the Alameda and the Barco de la Virgen.

Equally outstanding are the temples of San Francisco, with its old Dominican convent, now the headquarters of the Insular Museum, and that of Santo Domingo. Some fortifications also survive, such as the Castillo de Santa Catalina or the San Fernando. However, one of the best known views of Santa Cruz de La Palma is the Avenida Marítima and its popular wooden balconies, which offer the most characteristic image of the city.

In the artistic section, the works of art (mainly sculpture and painting) imported from Flanders and America are notable, especially those with religious themes. The city has two theaters: the Teatro Circo de Marte and the Teatro Chico.

Danza de los Enanos 2015

Entrance in the city of La Virgen de Las Nieves.

Santa Cruz de La Palma has a rich festive calendar, its main annual event being Carnival, with Los Indianos as the highlight. Another celebration to take into account is Holy Week, the only one in the Archipelago that has been declared a Festival of Regional Tourist Interest. The Fiestas de la Cruz are celebrated on May 3, commemorating the founding of the city, and are characterized by the ancient tradition of decorating the numerous crosses that populate the streets, squares and corners of the municipality with the most varied ornamental motifs, from flowers to luxurious jewelry. This custom is joined by others such as the making of "mayos", rompers with a body of wood and paper dressed in old clothes, placed in a group to represent a customary scene or a local episode. Every five years the Lustral Festivities of the Bajada de la Virgen de las Nieves are celebrated, declared of National Tourist Interest, in honor of the patron saint of the island. The last ones were held in July 2015 and the next edition will be in July 2020. An extensive program of entertaining and spectacular events fills the streets and squares of the city, in a celebration that brings together palmers from all over the world.

Notable among the shows and popular rejoicings are the pilgrimage or descent of the silver throne of the image along the royal road of El Planto; the Pandorgas parade: thousands of lanterns made of wood and colored paper lit by candles; the masked dance (also known as giants and big heads); the Dance of Acrobats, which simulates the world of circus exercises; the Festival of the 18th century, a dance that recreates the sumptuousness and elegance of eighteenth-century Rococo; the Allegorical and Triumphal Car, heir to the baroque sacramental cars. The magic is reserved for the number par excellence of the parties: the Dance of Dwarves. Before the watchful eye of the audience, a group of men dressed each time with a different allegory (Vikings, cardinals, minstrels, etc.) performs an initial dance; in a few seconds, the men transform into tiny dwarves who dance a frenetic choreography. Finally, the entry of the Virgin into the city, on the second Sunday of the month, is celebrated solemnly with dialogues, praise and liturgies. After a little less than three weeks in the Parish of El Salvador, the Virgin returns on August 5 to her Monte Sanctuary.

Economy

The port of the city is the only port for passengers and goods on the island, and maintains regular connections with the ports of Cádiz, Los Cristianos (Tenerife), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Arrecife. Despite the obstacles caused by the topography, the communication routes with the rest of the island's municipalities are quite good, especially after the improvements made in recent decades: we must not forget that, although less populated than Los Llanos de Aridane, Santa Cruz de la Palma has a prosperous economy with very important commerce as it is the entry route for imports as well as the exit route for export products from the entire island. From the south of the city, Mazo Airport is quickly reached through a highway whose west side (the one that leads to the airport) has been opened through a tunnel that cuts through one of the walls of La Caldereta. And at the end of the port begins the commercial area of the city, made up of two streets parallel to the coastline and one that would end at Avenida de El Puente and the other at Plaza de La Alameda.

Santa Cruz de La Palma from the sea

Sponsorship of the city

The patron saints of Santa Cruz de La Palma are: Santa Cruz (whose festival is on May 3) and Santa Águeda de Catania (which is celebrated on February 5). For her part, the Virgen de las Nieves (patron saint of La Palma, her name day is August 5) is the Honorary Mayor of Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Illustrious people

• Antonio José Álvarez de Abreu, I marquis de la Regalía (1683-1756), lawyer.
• Luis Tomás Leal (1688-1757), provincial of the Order of Preachers in the Canary Islands between 1727 and 1735.
• Manuel Díaz Hernández (1774-1863), an enlightened and humanist polyphacetic priest.
• Manuel González Méndez (1843-1909), painter and professor of Fine Arts.
• José Miguel Pérez Pérez (1896-1936), teacher and politician, founder of the Communist Party of Cuba and the Communist Party of the Canary Islands.
• Blas Pérez González (1898-1978), Minister of Government between 1942 and 1957.
• Carmen Arozena Rodríguez (1917-1963), painter and recorder.
• Jaime Pérez García de Aguiar (1930-2009), Cronista Oficial de Santa Cruz de La Palma.
• Manolo Blahnik (1942-), shoe designer.
• Fernando Fernández Martín (1943-), doctor and politician, president of the Government of the Canary Islands between 1987 and 1988.
• Luis Morera Felipe (1946-), a multidisciplinary artist.
• Samuel García Cabrera (1991-), athlete, champion of Spain in 400 smooth meters.