Casa Anchieta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Casa Anchieta |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| General information | |
| Location | San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain |
| Coordinates | 28°29′13″N 16°18′47″W / 28.48694°N 16.31306°W |
| Designations | Bien de Interés Cultural (1986) |
The Casa Anchieta is an important building in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, which is part of the Canary Islands. It was first built in the 1500s. The building you see today is mostly from the 1600s, with some changes made in the 1800s. This house was the childhood home of Saint Joseph of Anchieta. The building is named after him. In 2020, work began to fix up the house. The plan is to turn it into a museum and a special center. This center will teach visitors all about José de Anchieta's life.
The Story of Casa Anchieta
The Casa Anchieta is named after Joseph of Anchieta. He was born in San Cristóbal de La Laguna in 1534. He lived in this house when he was in Tenerife. Later, he moved to Brazil.
This place was first used as a small school in the early 1500s. Later, it became a family home. The first owner was Nuño Pérez. After he passed away, his wife, Mencia Díaz de Clavijo, married Juan de Anchieta. Juan was a captain and a public notary. They were the parents of José de Anchieta. José de Anchieta was not born in this house. However, he lived here for the first 14 years of his life.
The building we see now was built in the 1600s. Diego Benítez de Anchieta built it. It was changed a lot in the 1800s. The main front of the house was updated in 1905. The building was also home to Manuel Verdugo. A girls' college was located here in 1962. The Escuela de Actores de Canarias (Actors' School of the Canary Islands) was also here until 1987.
The building was officially recognized as a cultural heritage site. This happened on March 14, 1986.
Restoring Casa Anchieta
The city council of La Laguna fixed up the building from 2002 to 2005. They wanted to make it a museum. Then, in 2006, it had a small repair. This was so it could temporarily hold the Bishopric of Tenerife. This was needed after a fire at the Salazar Palace.
From 2007, the building was empty and not used. For a short time in 2015, it stored some city records. But problems were found in January 2016.
In 2020, it was announced that the building would be renovated again. The goal is to turn it into a museum. It will also be an interpretation center about José de Anchieta. This work will take about 7 months. It will cost around €710,000. The plans include making the building easy for disabled people to use. There will be bathrooms on each floor. An elevator will also be installed.
The work will remove moisture problems in the building. The inside layout will be changed. This will make it look more like its original design. The restoration started in 2021. By July, most of the work was finished. The most important parts were done. However, some changes were needed for the rest of the plan. This included the electricity, elevator, and telecommunications.
What Casa Anchieta Looks Like
This building has a classic style. It has two floors and a tiled roof. Inside, there is a central courtyard. Stairs are on one side of this courtyard. The building has a unique trapezoid shape. It has three sides that can be seen from outside. The main front of the house faces Plaza del Adelantado. The most important rooms are also on this side.
The front of the house was not even at first. But it was changed in 1905 by Mariano Estanga. Now, it looks balanced. It has a balcony in the middle. The main door and the balcony doors are decorated with stone. The window and door sills have iron railings. The side of the house faces Calle Las Quinteras. The back of the house faces a small square. This square used to be the building's vegetable garden.
The inside of the house was changed in the 1800s and 1900s. But you can still see parts from the 1500s and 1600s. These older parts are in the walls, roof, and wooden beams. You can also see them in the central courtyard and the cellar.
See also
In Spanish: Casa Anchieta para niños
