Real Santuario del Cristo de La Laguna Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Real Santuario del Santísimo Cristo de La Laguna
Facade of the Royal Shrine
Religion
Affiliation	Roman Catholic Church
District	Diocese of San Cristóbal de La Laguna
Province	Archdiocese of Seville
Ecclesiastical or organizational status	Royal shrine and conventual church
Location
Location	San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain.
Architecture
Architectural type	church
Architectural style	Colonial of the Canary Islands
Completed	1580
Direction of façade	South

The Royal Sanctuary of the Christ of La Laguna is a very important Roman Catholic church in San Cristóbal de La Laguna, a city on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. This special church is famous because it holds a revered statue called the Cristo de La Laguna. This statue is a very important religious image for people in the Canary Islands. Over time, Popes have given this church special blessings, similar to those given to a big church in Rome called the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Right next to the Royal Sanctuary, you'll find the Plaza del Cristo de La Laguna, which is the biggest square in the city.

History of the Royal Sanctuary
- Royal Title and Important Visitors
- The Shroud of Turin Replica
Images for kids
More to Explore
See also

History of the Royal Sanctuary

The Royal Sanctuary was built in 1580. It was founded by Alonso Fernández de Lugo. This church is considered a site of Cultural Interest. The church has a long, narrow main hall, which is about 46 meters (150 feet) long and 7 meters (23 feet) wide. This building was also the very first Franciscan monastery built on the island of Tenerife.

You enter the church through a door located under the choir area. At the back of the church, there is a large silver altar. In the center of this altar, there is a special carved wooden and gold cross. This is where the important statue of Christ rests.

Royal Title and Important Visitors

The Royal Shrine of the Cristo de La Laguna was one of the first Christian shrines in the Canary Islands to be given the special title of "Royalty." This happened on December 19, 1906. King Alfonso XIII gave it this title during a visit to the Canary Islands. He was there with the Marines, María Teresa de Borbón, and Fernando of Bavaria.

On November 22, 2006, the church was visited by the then King of Spain, Juan Carlos I of Spain, and his wife, Sofia of Greece. Both of them are honorary members of the brotherhood that cares for the Christ of La Laguna. The Pope in Rome is also an honorary member.

In 2008, a huge flag of Vatican City was displayed at the church. This was to celebrate 100 years since the Pope in Rome gave a special "Pontifical Title" to the brotherhood of the Cristo de La Laguna. This brotherhood is officially known as the Pontificia, Real y Venerable Esclavitud del Santísimo Cristo de La Laguna.

The Shroud of Turin Replica

Since 2014, the sanctuary has had an exact copy of the Shroud of Turin. There are only two exact copies of the Shroud in all of Spain. This replica was given to the church by the Canary Islands branch of the Spanish Center Sindonology. It is the only one of its kind in the Canary Islands. It is also considered the most accurate copy of the original Shroud.

In the year 2000, the Shrine of the Cristo de La Laguna was the first place in the Canary Islands where people could publicly honor the Shroud. This happened to celebrate the Shroud being shown in Turin Cathedral during the Jubilee Year.

Right next to the Royal Shrine, you can find the Military Barracks. This building is the main office for the Chief of Military Area Command and the Canary Islands.

Images for kids

Inside the Sanctuary, showing the statue of Christ on the altar.
The bell of the Shrine.
A close-up of the Cristo de La Laguna statue.
The replica of the Shroud of Turin. You can see it at the Museum of the Sanctuary.