Begun in 1904 and completed in 1915, it is dedicated to the Virgin of Los Remedios (patron of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna and the island of Tenerife).
The cathedral is the mother church of the diocese, which includes the islands of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro in the province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. It is therefore where the episcopal seat of the bishop of this diocese, currently occupied by Bishop Bernardo Álvarez Afonso. This is one of the most important churches of the Canary Islands.
The Cathedral of San Cristóbal de La Laguna is located in the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna. In the cathedral lie the remains of Alonso Fernandez de Lugo, conqueror of the island and founder of the city.
The cathedral is located in the historic center of the city of La Laguna, and was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 by UNESCO. The cathedral contains elements of several architectural styles including Neoclassical and Neo-Gothic.
The most representative elements of the Cathedral of La Laguna are its Neoclassical facade, inspired by the Cathedral of Pamplona, and the dome, which stands out prominently in the city landscape.
History
In 1511, a hermitage was erected on the site of the current Plaza de Fray Albino edifice. It was built by order of the conquistador, Alonso Fernández de Lugo.
The area appears to have been an ancient Guanche necropolis. It is also known that the whole valley of Aguere (in which the city lies), especially the large lake that was in this place, was a place of pilgrimage for the indigenous people of the island.
This primitive chapel was originally dedicated to the Virgin Mary in her Expectation, which is celebrated every 18 December.
The chapel was replaced in 1515 with a major construction dedicated to the Virgin of Los Remedios in the Mudéjar architectural style, to which a tower was added in 1618. It was on 21 April 1515 when the site rose to the level of parish with the name Santa Maria de los Remedios. The feast day of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary is celebrated on 8 September.
That same year, the Portuguese mason Miguel Alonso built the main chapel, the main arch, the altar, the stands, the tabernacle and the door of the sacristy, all made of stone.
On 7 April 1534, Saint José de Anchieta was baptized in the church. He was born in the city of La Laguna, became a missionary, and later became the founder of the city of Sao Paulo and one of the founders of Rio de Janeiro, both in Brazil. Precisely the cathedral is the diocesan shrine of the saint in the Canary Islands.
In 1752 a new transept was built, the main chapel vestries were widened and spacious dressing rooms were added for the image of the patron saint, the Virgen de los Remedios. Don Domingo de la Guerra, who directed the work and was later Marqués de San Andrés, extended the main chapel, because he hoped that one day the temple would become the Cathedral of Tenerife.
