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Las Palmas de Gran Canaria's historical heritage crumbles

Monuments declared Sites of Cultural Interest suffer abandonment, vandalism, and lack of conservation, questioning their protection.

Deteriorated stone walls of a historic fortification in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with vegetation and graffiti.
IA

Deteriorated stone walls of a historic fortification in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, with vegetation and graffiti.

The state of abandonment of historical monuments in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, many declared Sites of Cultural Interest (BIC), raises concerns about their deterioration and lack of effective conservation.

Emblematic buildings like San Francisco Castle, the San Juan Batteries, the Casa del Niño, and the Cuevas de los Canarios show crumbling walls, accumulated garbage, vandalism, and uncontrolled occupation. The declaration as a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) does not seem to guarantee their preservation, revealing institutional neglect and the passage of time.
The capital of Gran Canaria has 31 sites declared BIC, but a significant number of them are in a poor state of conservation. The San Francisco Castle, from the 17th century and a BIC since 1949, acquired by the City Council in 2004, shows severe damage after two decades of minimal intervention. Although clean-ups and preliminary studies have been carried out, rediscovery tasks, such as locating howitzers anchors, are still pending.
The San Juan and Mesas de San Juan Batteries, built during the Cuban War and declared BIC in 2018, also suffer severe deterioration. This defensive complex, complementary to San Francisco Castle, was expanded during World War II. After decades of abandonment, it features collapsed walls, graffiti, and is used for parties and motocross. The City Council has allocated one million euros for its conservation and carried out a comprehensive cleaning in 2020, removing tons of waste, but the fortress continues to crumble.
The Punta de Diamante, declared BIC in 1997 and undergoing restoration since 2018 to become a viewpoint, also suffers from garbage and graffiti. The project, delayed by the purchase of adjacent land, is awaiting tender. Meanwhile, the Casa del Niño, a rationalist masterpiece by Miguel Martín Fernández de la Torre and a BIC since 2017, is crumbling despite its highest protection. Abandoned since the 1990s, it has missing doors and windows, accumulated garbage, and has suffered fires, and is used by homeless people.
Pre-Hispanic sites are also facing similar issues. The Cuevas de los Canarios, in El Confital, have been evicted several times. The fences placed by the Cabildo to prevent access have been forced, and the site is used by homeless people and for garbage accumulation. The San Gregorio caves, in Ciudad del Campo, also show a neglected state, with the barn roof collapsing in 2022 and rehabilitation projects pending at the City Council.

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