VILLA DE ARAFO

Bienes Culturales: 119


The municipality of Arafo, is located on the eastern slope of the island of Tenerife, comprising an area close to 34 km2, developing its topography from sea level to levels above 2,000 m altitude. Being located the population center that gives name to the municipality at 470 m.
The municipality occupies a central position in the Güímar Valley or former Valley of Las Higueras. Historically nestled in the Menceyato de Güímar
In the middle of the 15th century, this Valle de Güimar or Valle de las Higueras was located in the Menceyato de Güímar, which formed part of the so-called peace bands, together with Anaga, Abona and Adeje. Prior to the Castilian military conquest, it produced an evangelization among the Guanche aborigines facilitated by the historical impact of the discovery by the Guanches of an image of the Virgin of Candelaria on the next beaches of Candelaria. This event together with the conciliatory position of * Mencey de Güímar "Añaterve" that concluded pacts of non-aggression with the conquerors in exchange for guaranteeing the freedom and property rights of the indigenous people.
In 1496 with the incorporation of Tenerife to the Crown of Castile, Adelantado Alonso Fernández de Lugo proceeded to distribute land and water among the conquerors, implanting a large sugar mill in the Las Higueras Valley. Granting a large amount of these lands and waters at the beginning of the 16th century to D. Gonzalo de Mejías and D. Hernando de Fuentes.
The Augustinian convent of the Holy Spirit received in 1509 part of the waters present at the site for the concession of these by the governor of La Gomera Gonzalo de Mejías. Thanks to this, the convent with its headquarters in La Laguna, began the canalization of the nascent of Añavingo and then began with the exploitation of the Arafo lands.
The arrival of new settlers continued during the 16th century, being created in the settlement of the “El Aserradero” neighborhood, whose place name is a clear allusion to timber activity, together with the consolidation of the core of the “Perdomo” area, considering these settlements Village initials.
In this century the main families of landowners in the territory were already fixed with the case of the Núñez, being the main exponent of this Juan Núñez, who at the end of the contest asks the Adelantado for a date of land with water from the spring, increased the November 20, 1517 for a new cast. Years later, her first-born Catalina Núñez will marry Tristán Báez, a native of Ampurias (Gerona), with whom she will have a total of 8 children, forming one of the most powerful marriages in the valley.
During the years of that century the Augustinian friars will continue to favor large donations of farms. Introducing the devotion to St. Augustine among the inhabitants of these incipient settlements
The existence of water springs in the place results in an agricultural prosperity of the community, which is increased during the second half of the seventeenth century, resulting in an increase in the economic power of residents, being able to meet the living expenses of a hermitage dedicated to San Juan Bautista Degollado, which was erected between 1672 and 1690.
At the beginning of the 18th century, Arafo experienced a sensitive growth in terms of its agricultural production, a prosperity that favorably affected the progressive awareness of the Araferos as an independent payment; and while they proceeded to the aggrandizement and enrichment of the primitive hermitage, beginning in 1738 the procedures to erect an own parish.
In the urban configuration of Arafo there is a fact that influenced decisively since in 1705 the eruption of the Arenas volcano and the generation of the Malpais, caused the hull to move further north fleeing from them. Grouping the inhabitants especially in the vicinity of the new hermitage, making this area the most populated, arriving in 1779 to include 554 neighbors.
At the end of the seventeenth century, the petition was made to the bishopric by a group of neighbors granting parish to the erected hermitage. In 1795 the new parish of San Juan de Degollado was declared. This parochial segregation of Arafo's neighbors is the beginning of the civil dismemberment of Candelaria, being able to elect public offices in the payment itself, although these depended on the Cabildo de La Laguna. In 1798, the first pediatric mayor of the place, D. Felipe Marrero Castro, was elected.
With the approval by the Cortes of Cádiz of the constitution of 1812, the Provincial Council was established in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, subsequently dividing the island into municipalities taking into account the parishes that existed there.