Architect and artist Alejandro Bautell has revealed the details of the stage for the central event of Pope Leo XIV's visit to Tenerife on June 11th and 12th. The 28-meter long structure, located in the port of Santa Cruz, has already begun its foundation work.
The concept, defined by Bautell as a "celebrative space," is inspired by the original plan for St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The aim is to symbolize how Tenerife will become, for a few hours, the epicenter of the Christian world, replicating the geometry that represented the center of Catholicism.
A periphery like Tenerife will be the center of the Christian world for a few hours
This ephemeral space, designed to last only a few hours over an area of 300 square meters, represents a "very important challenge" for the architect and his team, who are approaching the work with enthusiasm thanks to the support of numerous volunteers, collaborators, and priests.
Despite the Vatican inspiration, the design strongly integrates Canarian identity. The structure will take the form of a perfect Greek cross inscribed within a recreation of the island's territory, using "landscaped areas with rock gardens, volcanic gravel, and native vegetation." The elevated platform will mark "liturgical hierarchies," with a central presbytery and spaces for eleven concelebrants. Revered images such as the Virgin of Candelaria and the Christ of La Laguna will have a prominent place.
Alejandro Bautell is also responsible for the design of the space for the Pope's meeting with migrants and the third sector in the Plaza del Cristo de La Laguna. This event, without liturgy, is conceived as "a close encounter, a conversation," with a simple platform to foster "closeness."
The papal visit to Tenerife promises to be a historic event. The Thanksgiving Mass at the port of Santa Cruz will be the pontiff's farewell event in Spain, for which 16 chapels and over 400 communion points will be set up for the thousands of faithful expected.
