The Federación Cultural Libreas de Tenerife and the Councillors of Cultural Heritage and Festivities of the City Council of La Laguna are organising the 7th edition of the Encuentro de Libreas de Tenerife, an opportunity to travel back in time through the memory and intangible heritage preserved by the neighbours of different municipalities of the Island, a tradition which in La Laguna is preserved in the auto sacramental of Valle de Guerra, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest and which this October will celebrate 410 years of history.

The Councillor for Cultural Heritage, Adolfo Cordobés, and the President of the Federación Cultural Libreas de Tenerife, Rubens García, today presented the programme of events for this gathering which, from 9 to 14 June, will include an exhibition of costumes and elements used in the different performances on the island, as well as conferences, a parade and a great performance of the participating liveries in the Plaza del Cristo.

The mayor explained that, ‘for a week, La Laguna will celebrate the diversity and richness of Tenerife’s liveries. Each with its own essence and history, but all with the same purpose: to keep alive the heritage of all the people of Tenerife and that these manifestations continue to be studied, valued and protected. These are objectives in which the Federation plays a fundamental role’.

‘Bringing together all these representations in the only World Heritage City in the Canary Islands, on the 25th anniversary of its declaration by Unesco, is a recognition of the role that La Laguna has played in the history and culture of the archipelago and an opportunity to travel back in time through the union of tangible and intangible heritage,’ said Cordobés.

The councillor also recalled that ‘this meeting not only reinforces the link between the different towns of Tenerife, but also extols the legacy that unites us as a community. With it, we want to contribute to strengthening and preserving a shared identity, the collective memory and the commitment to keep our tradition alive for future generations’.

The president of the Federation, Rubens García, explained that ‘this Federation arose, in 2023, thanks to the union of the collectives and the need to preserve the livery gatherings over time, consolidate the existing liveries to keep alive this heritage with centuries of history, as well as trying to recover some that have been lost’. In this sense, he stressed that ‘we know that there were some, for example, in Las Mercedes or Geneto, which have disappeared’.

‘This year, as a lagunero, I feel very proud that the streets and doors of La Laguna will be opened to spread Tenerife’s liveries and their important ethnographic and cultural role, a tremendous wealth that identifies us as a people’, added García, who gave all the details of the programme and explained the differences between the Tenerife manifestations that can be enjoyed during the next week in the historic city.

In fact, the liveries are a living testimony to the history and traditions of each municipality. They evoke the Battle of Lepanto in 1571 and use militias, such as those of Valle de Guerra or Taganana, while others feature figures of devils dancing to the rhythm of the tajaraste, recreations linked to thanksgiving to the patron saints for good harvests or for saving them from pirate attacks, as can be seen in the towns of the north-eastern part of the island.

Programme of events

The programme will begin this Monday (9th June) with an exhibition in the chapel of San Miguel Arcángel, built in the early years of the 16th century by order of the Adelantado Alonso Fernández de Lugo to house his family pantheon, which was the site of the first meetings of the Tenerife Cabildo and which has now been converted into a cultural and exhibition space.

The exhibition of costumes and elements of the different liveries can be visited until Friday 13th June, from 10:00 to 19:00 hours, while on Saturday it will be open from 10:00 to 14:00 hours.

On the same Friday, the Casa de los Capitanes will host two conferences, given by Juan de la Cruz Rodríguez, a researcher from La Laguna, an expert in traditional dress of the Islands and Gold Medal of Tenerife, and Ricardo Fajardo Hernández, an anthropologist and member of the Librea del Lugar de Buenavista del Norte.

Parade along Viana Street

The activities will end on Saturday (14th June) with the Encuentro de Libreas, in which those of Valle de Guerra, El Tanque, Taganana, El Palmar, as well as that of the Lugar de Buenavista del Norte and that of the Diablos de las Angustias de Icod de Los Vinos will take part. It will begin at 19:30 with a parade through the historic centre, starting at the Plaza Hermano Ramón and, after crossing Calle Viana, will end at the Plaza del Cristo. Here, there will be an explanation and a display of these different Tenerife representations.

The Federación Cultural Libreas de Tenerife is made up of the Asociación Cultural Amigos de La Librea de Valle de Guerra, the Asociación Cultural Librea de los Diablos de las Angustias, the Asociación de Vecinos Voz del Valle de Taganana, the Asociación Cultural de las Libreas de El Palmar and the Asociación Grupo Folclórico de la Facultad de Educación de la Universidad de la Laguna.

This 7th Meeting also has the collaboration of the Fundación Canaria Tamaimos and the Escuela de Arte y Superior de Diseño Fernando Estévez.