FORTALEZA DE SANTA BÁRBARA

TEGUISE
- Arquitectura Militar. Fortalezas -

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This military construction is the oldest of how many are preserved on the island of Lanzarote. It was built during the first half of the 16th century by Sancho de Herrera and Ayala, who placed it on the Caldera de Guanapay, next to Teguise, who gave it its name to the fortress, and who more adeptly receives the name of Santa Barbara and San Hermenegildo

In November 1551, the French pirate El Cl Rigo and the son of the Turkish Cachidiablo, famous corsair Berber Sco, invaded the island, looting Teguise and several towns in the interior. The futility of the Guanapay tower was made evident by what D. Agust n de Herrera y Rojas, grandson of D. Sancho de Herrera, decided to improve their defenses.

the work consisted of adding to the tower, by the south angle, a lower body with some rooms, leaving them encompassed in a new construction of a rhomboid plant of hard masonry walls, inside which a courtyard was opened, the refuge rooms were lined up on whose envy the defenders appeared at the battlements of the castle.

By mandate of the Royal Audience of the Canary Islands, the castle is visited by the captain of the first prison, D.Gaspar de Salcedo, who planned in 1571 to add two cubes to them in the northwest and southwest corners. The works were approved by the king with a letter sent to the Count of Lanzarote on October 2, 1572.

In 1586, Morato Arraez from North Africa attacks again and forces the count and his followers to leave the Castle. Once inside the invaders destroy the main tower and the battlements of the building ...

GUIDE OF THE VILLA DETEGUISE. Historical Heritage Service of the Cabildo de Lanzarote. 2003

Address: A. Sebastian n Hern ndez Gutierrez y Mar to Antonia Perera Betancort

Drafting: Francisca Mar to Perera Betancort, Guacimara Batista Rivero, Mar to Antonia Perera Betancort and A.Sebasti n Hern ndez Guti rrez.

Photograph: Jos Farray, V deo Humer, Photographic Fund of the Historical Archive of Teguise and Historical Heritage Service of the Cabildo de Lanzarote.

NOTES FOR THE HISTORY OF THE OLD FORTIFICATIONS OF THE CANARY ISLANDS: Jos Mar a Pinto y de La Rosa. Regional Military Museum of the Canary Islands. 1996

The news of the year 1618 about the castle, indicates that its total length was that it occupied about 130 square meters, occupying its accommodation about 27 square meters.

In a rhomboidal shape, of irregular invoice with polygonal springs and the peaks with 17 steps of masonry to clad, which serve to access the main door and which faces the west, which is passed through a small or fixed wooden bridge. At the entrance there is a staircase of songs without handrails, which goes up to the esplanade where the Weapons Hall is located.

Between 1808 and 1810 a series of events took place in Lanzarote that ended in the so-called Chica Chica, which originated certain economic, political and administrative conditions.

The Castle of Santa Barbara was used in this war as an arsenal from which to draw weapons to attack San Gabriel Castle in Arrecife and as a prison for the many people who were arrested after the towns of Yaiza, San Barrtolom and Arrecife, will be declared independent of the capital (Teguise).

Mr. Jos Feo was imprisoned in the Armas del Castillo room for more than 40 days.

In 1899 the works are carried out to install a military dovecot in the Castle.

In 1618 Lanzarote suffered the most cruel and ruthless invasion of its history, on May 2, 1618, more than 6000 men in command of the Algerian pirates Jab n Arr ez and Solim n march on Teguise. They burned the main buildings and stole all the valuable objects, the island was totally destroyed and more than 900 men were taken as slaves.

In 1666 the Governor of Lanzarote, Mr. Gaspar de Z rate, denounces to the Captain General of the Canary Islands the state that was the strength of Guanapay and requested several supplies among which he highlights: a bell, wood for the bridge, a flag, p lvora and lead.

According to several documents of the Historical Archive of Teguise made by Mr. Antonio s de Castro and dealing with the accounts of the castles of Lanzarote, in 1707 some reforms were carried out in the fortress of Santa Barbara, he was paid Mr. Manuel Herrera bought a small bell, the carpenter officer of the Villa de Teguise restored several doors, and bought a staircase for the interior.

A document dated 1772 says of the castle of Santa Barbara: This castle located on an advantageous eminence a quarter of a league away from the Villa de Teguise, capital of the island, and with short address of the port of Caballos or the of Arrecife, contains a watchtower that records part of the North Sea and almost all of the South and East. Its irregular figure is composed of two very small bulwarks of two towers. It has in the interior plan rooms for the troops and a warehouse of powder, all of closed and also, an elevated bridge.

The military dovecot was installed, in 1901 a valuation of the castle is set at 8000 pesetas. In 1910 he was sergeant of this loft D.federico Ferreira.

When the military pigeons were suppressed in 1913, the Castle was delivered to the Teguise Town Hall.

On October 28, 1940, the Provincial Commissioner of Arqueol Gicas de Las Palmas excavations was informed that the castle should be declared a Historic Monument, but be in 1954 when the Regional Patron of the Museum of the Spanish People began the first file of statement

In 1955, the then mayor of Teguise D. José Morales Mendez communicates the situation of the Castle and ensures that with 50,000 pesetas the necessary repairs can be made.

In 1958, the Association of Friends of the Castles made several repairs and built the access track of more than 1 km.

the inauguration works with the presence of the first authorities and the Commission of the Friends of the Castles, constituted by D.gerardo Morales martin n, D. estanislao Gonz lez ferrer and D. Rafael cabrera D az as secretary.

In 1973 the Teguise Corporation made the agreement to buy the Castle. the petition is made on January 20, 1975 and the purchase is carried out on November 12, 1976 for the price of 200,000 pesetas. The property was registered on January 4, 1977.

In 1977, restoration work was initiated by the Ministry of Culture through the Department of Fine Arts. The project, the work of Mr. Alemany, meant the destruction of the badass of the pr ...