declaration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site to a close. After a year of commemorative activities, the first four days of December will feature events such as the International Conference on Diversity, Immigration, Sustainability and the Rights of Future Generations; an exhibition by the renowned artist Angélica Dass, the inauguration of Punto Cero (Point Zero) on the city’s founding layout, an audiovisual show on the side façade of the Cathedral, and the solemn closing ceremony of the ‘Year of La Laguna’ at the Teatro Leal, where the Hymn of La Laguna, composed by Diego Navarro, will be presented.
The press conference was chaired by the mayor, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, accompanied by the Minister of Employment, Education and Youth of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Efraín Medina; the rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco García; the island councillor for Employment, Education and Youth of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Efraín Medina; the director general of Culture and Cultural Heritage of the Government of the Canary Islands, Miguel Ángel Clavijo, and the councillor for Cultural Heritage, Adolfo Cordobés. In addition, councillors from the municipal corporation were in attendance.
In his speech, the mayor highlighted that “La Laguna is ending this December with a year of celebrations to mark its 25th anniversary, which, rather than an institutional commemoration, has been an opportunity to reaffirm the unique role that our city, the only one in the archipelago with this distinction, plays in the Canary Islands context, as well as reinforcing its cultural and heritage profile and generating spaces for dialogue on the model of city we want to build for the next 25 years”.
All this with a commemorative programme that has included more than fifty activities, with ‘exhibitions, dramatised tours, guided visits, international forums, technical conferences and educational activities that have mobilised institutions, groups, artists, educational centres and citizens,’ as the mayor recalled.
An institutional and social alliance
He also thanked the institutions present for their support for this initiative and highlighted the involvement of numerous cultural and social entities ‘in a shared roadmap that seeks to reconcile the contemporary needs of the city with the preservation of its outstanding universal value’.
These include the Group of World Heritage Cities of Spain, CICOP, ICOMOS, the Bishopric of La Laguna, the Royal Economic Society of Friends of the Country of Tenerife, the Institute of Canarian Studies, the Economic and Social Forum, the Museums of Tenerife, the Cristino de Vera Foundation, Orfeón La Paz, LM Arte Colección, the Cayetano Gómez Felipe House Museum and the Museum of Sacred Art of Santa Clara de Asís.
The rector of the University of La Laguna, Francisco García, emphasised the close historical ties that bind the institution to the city throughout its 233-year history. These ties are reflected not only in the successive university campuses located in La Laguna, but also in the initial impetus for the dossier that led to the UNESCO declaration, led by Professor Maisa Navarro.
He also highlighted the University’s active participation in the 25th anniversary commemorative programme, an involvement that ‘allows us to reflect on the major issues facing the city today and in the coming years, in a city that has a bright future’.
The Minister of Employment, Education and Youth of the Cabildo of Tenerife, Efraín Medina, highlighted the joint work carried out by the various administrations to celebrate this anniversary. ‘Protecting our heritage is a shared responsibility because, in doing so, we take care of our roots and protect our identity,’ he said.
He also explained that the Island Council has contributed €500,000 to support the programme’s activities, a sum that has also made it possible to launch the first phase of the Historic Centre Lighting Master Plan.
For his part, Miguel Ángel Clavijo recalled his experience from the early stages of the process that led to the inclusion of La Laguna on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, remembering all those who were involved in that process and the complex challenges that had to be faced in order to transform the city model and project it towards what it is today.
The Councillor for Cultural Heritage, Adolfo Cordobés, provided all the details of the programme and began by reminding everyone that this press conference was being held in a building that will host the main closing event of this year’s activities, a ceremony that will take place on the afternoon of 4 December (the 26th anniversary of the UNESCO declaration) and at which, “in addition to many surprises, the Anthem of La Laguna will be presented, a work composed by Diego Navarro for the occasion, which will become the musical symbol of the World Heritage city”.
On Monday, 1 December, the Espacio Mutua Tinerfeña will host the opening of the Conference on Diversity, Immigration, Sustainability and the Rights of Future Generations, a “forum for reflection that will position La Laguna as a benchmark in the global debate on heritage cities. Until the 3rd, it will be a unique opportunity to discuss cross-cutting and highly topical issues, with exceptional guests such as Edith Brown Weiss, Michelle Alonso, Nicolás Castellano, Angélica Dass and Maisa Navarro, among many others,” recalled Cordobés. They will be moderated by philosopher Inma Perdomo and admission is free.
Workshops and exhibition by Angélica Dass
This initiative will include the ‘Humanae’ workshops with artist Angélica Dass, an opportunity to share knowledge and creativity with this internationally renowned artist and lecturer, who has exhibited at venues such as the Reina Sofía, the Smithsonian and the UN headquarters, and is a regular contributor to UNESCO. They will be held at Casa Anchieta on 2 December and are aimed at educators and families. Places are limited and prior registration is required.
On Tuesday 2nd at midday, another of the programme’s main events will take place: the inauguration of Punto Cero de La Laguna, the point that marks the centre of the compass rose that outlines the city. The following day, Wednesday, the side façade of the Cathedral will host an audiovisual show open to the public.
On Thursday, the 25th anniversary plaque will be unveiled in the Plaza del Adelantado, as well as the exhibition ‘Humanae’ by Brazilian artist Angelica Dass, an artistic and social project that is coming to the Canary Islands for the first time and which offers a profound reflection on human diversity. This exhibition can be visited until 25 January at the Casa Anchieta.
He also highlighted the firm commitment and close collaboration of the Canary Islands Government with the institutions present, aimed at ensuring the protection, recovery and dissemination of La Laguna’s heritage. In this regard, he announced the joint work being carried out to improve and enhance the municipal Historical Archive, a key part of the city’s collective memory.
In addition, 4 December will be the last day to visit the exhibition ‘Lagunear. Memory and Transformation’ at LM Arte Colección. And until 30 January, “Quintana in La Laguna. The Painter and His Legacy in Canarian Baroque Art‘ will be on display at the Cayetano Gómez Felipe House Museum, as well as ’PIBADA 25,” also at LM, until 10 January.
On 9 December, at the headquarters of the Canary Islands Government Delegation in Madrid, a photographic exhibition will be inaugurated that will show the essence of La Laguna and can be visited until 30 December, an initiative that seeks to project the heritage, historical and cultural value of the city in the state capital.
All the information about the programme, as well as the registration form for the Humanae workshops, is available on the website 25aniversario.aytolalaguna.es.
A starting point
Adolfo Cordobés insisted that 4 December ‘will not be an end, but a starting point, as the awarding of the Historic City Management Plan and the tender in 2026 for the updating of the Special Protection Plan are now beginning’.
In this regard, ‘the celebration of the 25th anniversary has shown that heritage is not a collection of buildings, but a way of understanding the territory, building community and planning for the future. Thanks to the joint efforts of institutions, groups and citizens, La Laguna has established itself as a laboratory for heritage, urban and cultural innovation, and as an international benchmark in the defence of the values of conservation, sustainability and inclusion,’ concluded the mayor.
The programme commemorating the 25th anniversary of La Laguna as a World Heritage City has the financial support of the Government of the Canary Islands and the Cabildo of Tenerife.