The initiative, promoted by the Asociación de Amigos del Lino Linolillo (Friends of Flax Linolillo Association), was presented at the Agáldar City History Museum. This project compiles testimonies from the last individuals who had firsthand knowledge of the cultivation, spinning, and weaving of this fiber in the landscape recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.
The ethnographic research aims to document a traditional craft and preserve knowledge linked to daily life, dryland agriculture, and the family economy of the mid-altitude and high-altitude areas of Gran Canaria. During the presentation, a municipal representative highlighted the value of this work in documenting, both in writing and audiovisual formats, a memory that until now was primarily transmitted orally.
“"The project is conceived as a pioneering ethnographic investigation. Its objective has not only been to document a traditional craft, but also to preserve a body of knowledge linked to daily life, dryland agriculture, and the family economy of the mid-altitude and high-altitude areas of Gran Canaria."
The archive includes audiovisual interviews, texts, photographic galleries, ethnographic records, and documentation on the entire flax production process. A central part of the work involved listening to the last people who still retained direct memories of this activity, from plant cultivation to the use of looms and tools related to textile production. This material has been incorporated into an open-access digital platform to facilitate its consultation and prevent it from being restricted to a specialized field.
Among the most notable elements is a map of weavers and spinners of the cultural landscape, identifying women who worked with flax in municipalities such as Gáldar, Artenara, and Tejeda. Additionally, there is a bank of historical images on the use of this fiber between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries, as well as an inventory of historical looms, including what is described as the oldest tea loom found in caves within the cultural landscape.
The association has uploaded the content to an open website with an educational purpose, intending it to serve as a documentary base for researchers, educational centers, and cultural managers. This approach aligns with the management philosophy of the Insular Institute for the Integrated Management of World Heritage and the Biosphere Reserve of Gran Canaria, a Cabildo entity that funds the initiative.
Beyond historical recovery, the project also looks to the future. In November 2024, flax cultivation was successfully reintroduced in the cultural landscape with a first harvest in Altos de Fuente Bruma, and a second sowing in Barranco Hondo is expected to be harvested in spring 2026. The initiative also features permanent exhibition and workshop spaces, and a farm with guaranteed water supply has been incorporated to ensure its continuity.
