The work, which received a grant from the Cabildo de Tenerife for the recovery of historical memory, analyzes the evolution of the worship of the Virgen de Candelaria during the Franco era and its link to the identity, society, and political power of the time. The book offers a new perspective on a key period for understanding the recent history of Candelaria and the Canary Islands.
The mayor of Candelaria, Mari Brito, highlighted the importance of promoting local history research and dissemination. "To speak of the Virgen de Candelaria is also to speak of our history and our identity as a people," she stated, emphasizing that the work provides a necessary look at worship during the dictatorship, a period that is part of our democratic memory and must be known and shared.
Brito added that public officials have the obligation to collect, protect, and transmit history, including the more difficult episodes, based on the principles of truth and reparation. She noted that the Virgen de Candelaria was significantly present in the life of the municipality during the post-war period and the dictatorship, a time marked by hardship, repression, exile, and emigration.
The mayor reiterated the City Council's commitment to continue promoting historical research initiatives to better understand the past and pass this legacy on to future generations, through publications, conferences, and workshops, forming the largest research program on historical-democratic memory developed in Candelaria.
For his part, the Councilor for Culture, Manuel González, reported that the first edition consists of 200 copies that will be distributed among the municipal libraries and the two institutes of the municipality, IES Santa Ana and IES Punta Larga, with the aim of facilitating access to this research and bringing local history knowledge closer to citizens, especially young people.
The work was coordinated by Luana Stüder Villazán and written by Joaquín Carreras and Lorenzo Santana. This publication joins the initiatives developed by the Candelaria City Council within the framework of the calls from the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife for the recovery of historical-democratic memory 2025. The funding for this publication amounts to 9,977.75 euros, fully covered by the Cabildo Insular de Tenerife.
