Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán (San Cristóbal de La Laguna) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of Saint Dominic |
|
|---|---|
|
Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán
|
|
The church in 2005
|
|
 Church of Saint Dominic
Location in Canary Islands
|
|
| 28°29′09″N 16°18′48″W / 28.4858°N 16.3133°W | |
| Location | San Cristóbal de La Laguna |
| Country | Spain |
| Denomination | Roman Catholic Church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Completed | 1522 (Monastery) 1527 (Church) |
| Administration | |
| Archdiocese | San Cristóbal de La Laguna |
The Church of Saint Dominic of Guzmán is a beautiful Catholic church. You can find it in the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna. This city is on the island of Tenerife, which is part of the Canary Islands in Spain.
Contents
History of the Church
Early Beginnings
Long ago, where the church stands today, there was a small chapel. It was dedicated to the Immaculate Conception. In 1522, a Dominican monastery was built there. The church itself was finished a few years later, in 1527.
A Safe Place for a Special Statue
The Dominican monastery once kept a very important statue. This was the image of the Virgin of Candelaria. She is the patron saint of the Canary Islands. On January 30, 1555, the statue was brought here for the first time. This happened because people were worried about attacks from French raiders. They wanted to keep the statue safe from harm.
Learning and Famous People
In 1612, a special school for theology was started at the convent. This helped the convent grow and become more important. It even had a public library where people could read and learn.
One very interesting person buried in this church is Amaro Pargo. He was a famous corsair, which is like a privateer or a legal pirate. He was buried here in 1747. Amaro Pargo was a big supporter of the church. He gave many valuable art pieces, like a silver throne for a statue of Jesus. His marble gravestone is right at the church entrance. It shows his family crest and a skull and crossbones, which was his pirate symbol.
.jpg)
Another important person connected to the church is Saint José de Anchieta. He was baptized using the baptismal font that is now in this church. He was baptized in a different church, but the font was later moved here. José de Anchieta was very famous. He helped found the city of São Paulo in Brazil. He also helped start Rio de Janeiro.
Art and Architecture
The main altar of the church has a special chapel. It is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary. The beautiful statue of Our Lady of the Rosary might have been brought to Tenerife by a Dominican friar named Pedro de Santa María de Ulloa. However, some clues suggest the statue was already on the island by 1558. The statue sits on a silver throne from the 1700s.
The walls inside the church are covered with amazing paintings. These are called frescoes and wall paintings. They were created by an artist named Mariano de Cossío (1880–1960). His paintings show religious stories and also celebrate the victory at the Battle of Lepanto.
Since 1986, the Church of Saint Dominic and its old convent have been recognized as important cultural buildings in the Canary Islands.
See also
In Spanish: Iglesia de Santo Domingo de Guzmán (San Cristóbal de La Laguna) para niños
