The mayor of La Laguna, Luis Yeray Gutiérrez, today unveiled a plaque commemorating the 25th anniversary of the city’s declaration as a World Heritage Site, a distinctive monument that will remain in the Plaza del Adelantado as a reminder of this important milestone. The event, which brought together authorities, cultural representatives and residents, opened the last day of celebrations for the first quarter of a century with this UNESCO recognition, which will come to a close with the institutional ceremony tonight at the Teatro Leal.

“This plaque is a symbol of the shared memory and pride of a city that has managed to preserve its essence without renouncing contemporary life. Each anniversary reminds us that heritage is not just stone and urban layout, but the living history of those who inhabit and care for it every day,” said the mayor during the inauguration.

Luis Yeray Gutiérrez stressed that “La Laguna is part of a select group of cities recognised by UNESCO, and this recognition reminds us that our legacy has a universal value that we must continue to defend. Heritage is also a space for encounter, cohesion and dialogue between generations, and this commemoration invites us to strengthen those ties.”

San Cristóbal de La Laguna was designated a World Heritage City on 2 December 1999, during the UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting held in Marrakesh. The nomination was based on the exceptional universal value of its Renaissance urban layout, conceived at the end of the 15th century as the first planned city in the Canary Islands and a model that was later exported to America.

La Laguna was recognised as a unique example of an unfortified city, designed according to rational and humanistic criteria, which anticipated the principles of coexistence and openness that would mark modernity.

The decision was the result of intense institutional and academic work, involving specialists from the University of La Laguna and representatives of the City Council, the Island Council and the Spanish Government. UNESCO highlighted the authenticity of the historic centre, which preserves its original layout and a valuable architectural ensemble of more than 600 buildings, as well as its role as a cultural bridge between Europe and America.

With this inscription, La Laguna became the first city in the Canary Islands to receive this international recognition, placing it in a select group of cities of outstanding universal value.

Two days later, on 4 December 1999, the city celebrated the news with solemn ceremonies that marked the beginning of a tradition. On that day, the first salutes were fired and bells rang out in the churches of the historic quarter, a symbolic gesture that has been repeated every year since then to commemorate the event.

Since then, 4 December has become La Laguna’s World Heritage Day, with institutional ceremonies, cultural events and community celebrations that reinforce the collective memory and civic pride. Thus, the city not only remembers UNESCO’s decision, but also reaffirms each year its commitment to the conservation, dissemination and experience of a heritage that belongs as much to its inhabitants as to the whole world.

And as every 4 December, at 12 noon, the traditional salutes and ringing of bells took place, reinforcing the symbolism of the date in the collective memory of La Laguna.