Iglesia de San Andrés (Tenerife) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Church of St. Andrew the Apostle
Iglesia de San Andrés
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic
District	Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna
Province	Archdiocese of Seville
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	parish church
Location
Location	San Andrés, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain.
Architecture
Architectural type	Church
Architectural style	Colonial of the Canary Islands
Groundbreaking	1510
Completed	1680
Direction of façade	East

The Church of St. Andrew the Apostle (also known as Iglesia de San Andrés Apóstol) is a historic Catholic church. It is located in the village of San Andrés. This village is part of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. It serves as the main parish church for the community.

A Look Back in Time
Gallery
See also

A Look Back in Time

Building the First Chapel

The story of this church began a long time ago, between 1505 and 1510. A person named Don Lope de Salazar built a small chapel on this very spot. He placed two important statues inside: one of St. Andrew the Apostle and another of Saint Lucy. The chapel was dedicated to St. Andrew.

By 1520, this chapel was known as "Nuestra Señora de Salazar". It was one of the very first Christian buildings on the island of Tenerife. It was built not long after the island was conquered. We know that people were already having baptisms there by 1619.

The Modern Church and Its Treasures

The church you see today was built on top of that older chapel. Inside, there's an old wooden statue of St. Andrew the Apostle. He is the patron saint of the village, and his feast day is celebrated every year on November 30.

Another special statue is the Santo Cristo del Cegato. This is a statue of Jesus on the cross. It was made in 1882 from orange wood by a local artist who was blind. You can find this carving near the main altar. The church also has many other religious statues.

Bells with a Story

In the church tower, there are two old bells. One of them, the smaller one, has an amazing story! People say it once belonged to the fleet of Horatio Nelson. He was a famous British admiral who tried to invade the island on July 25, 1797, but didn't succeed.