Tenerife Hosts First National Congress on Traditional Clothing in La Orotava
The event will gather experts from across Spain to study, promote, and conserve traditional textile heritage as a key part of cultural identity.
By Gara León Betancourt
••3 min read
IA
Facade of a traditional Canarian town hall with stone architecture and wooden balconies, under warm afternoon light.
The Tenerife Island Council and the La Orotava City Council present the First National Congress on Traditional Clothing, to be held in the Villa on October 2nd and 3rd.
The Villa de La Orotava will become the national epicenter for the study, promotion, conservation, and dissemination of traditional clothing with the First National Congress on Traditional Clothing. The event, organized by the Cabildo de Tenerife through the Sectorial Council for Traditional Clothing of Tenerife, will take place on October 2nd and 3rd.
This pioneering congress aims to bring together researchers, conservators, ethnographers, designers, artisans, and specialists from across the country to analyze, debate, and highlight traditional textile heritage as a fundamental part of cultural identity. It will feature the participation of 11 speakers from various autonomous communities, including Zamora, Valencia, Soria, and Canary Islands.
The official presentation took place in the Noble Hall of the Consistorial Houses, attended by the mayor of La Orotava, Francisco Linares; the president of the Island Council, Rosa Dávila; and the Minister of Employment, Education, and Youth, Efraín Medina, along with speakers and members of the Sectorial Council.
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"Tenerife once again positions itself at the forefront in defending our cultural heritage with the celebration of the first National Congress on Traditional Clothing. We want this meeting to be a reference space for knowledge, to drive research, and to ensure that this legacy reaches new generations with the utmost rigor and respect."
Rosa Dávila emphasized that traditional clothing reflects history and identity, and the Cabildo will continue to support initiatives that protect this heritage and position Tenerife as a national benchmark.
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"This congress is the result of many years of work by the Sectorial Council for Traditional Clothing of Tenerife and hundreds of people who have dedicated their efforts to researching, documenting, and dignifying our traditional attire. Today, we take another step to place this knowledge on a national level. Having specialists from different parts of Spain in Tenerife will allow us to exchange experiences, enrich research, and continue advancing in the protection of a living heritage that is part of our culture. La Orotava, due to its trajectory and commitment to traditions, is the ideal setting to host this first National Congress."
Efraín Medina highlighted that the congress is the fruit of the Sectorial Council's work and many individuals, and that the choice of La Orotava is ideal due to its commitment to traditions.
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"For the Villa, it is a true honor and a great responsibility to become the national epicenter of traditional clothing."
Francisco Linares expressed the municipality's pride in hosting this event, stressing the importance of protecting and conserving this heritage as a manifestation of identity, and the need to educate new generations in respecting the historical rigor of traditional clothing.
The congress is established with the aim of being a national reference forum for exchanging knowledge, experiences, and research on traditional clothing, addressing it from historical, anthropological, ethnographic, innovative, artisanal, and heritage perspectives.
The selection of La Orotava as the venue is due to its recognized trajectory in the conservation and promotion of cultural heritage. During the event and the preceding weeks, the municipality will host a program of lectures, meetings, round tables, and exhibitions.
Through the organization of the First National Congress on Traditional Clothing, the Cabildo de Tenerife reinforces its commitment to the protection, conservation, study, and dissemination of the island's material and immaterial heritage, consolidating Tenerife as a national reference in the knowledge and preservation of traditional clothing.
