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 Real Santuario del Santísimo Cristo de La Laguna (which means Royal Sanctuary of the Christ of La Laguna) is a special Roman Catholic church. You can find it in the city of San Cristóbal de La Laguna, on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, Spain. This sanctuary is very famous because it holds the important image of the Cristo de La Laguna. This image is deeply loved by many people in the Canary Islands.

Throughout its history, Popes have given this church special blessings. These blessings are similar to those given to the Basilica of St. John Lateran in Rome. Right next to the Royal Shrine, you'll find the Plaza del Cristo de La Laguna. This is the biggest square in the city.

History of the Royal Sanctuary
Images for kids
See also

History of the Royal Sanctuary

Building the Church

The Royal Sanctuary was built in 1580. It was founded by Alonso Fernández de Lugo. This makes it a very old and important place. It is considered a site of Cultural Interest. The church has one long, narrow main hall, called a nave. It is about 46 meters long and 7 meters wide. This church was also the first Franciscan monastery built on the island of Tenerife.

You enter the church through a door located under the choir area. The back wall of the church has a large silver altarpiece. In the center of this altarpiece, there is a carved wooden and gold cross. This cross holds the famous image of Christ.

Royal Recognition

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

Later, 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. They are honorary members of the church's brotherhood, just like the Pope in Rome.

Special Celebrations

In 2008, the temple displayed a huge flag of Vatican City. This was to celebrate a special anniversary. It marked 100 years since the Pope in Rome gave the "Pontifical Title" to the brotherhood of the Cristo de La Laguna. This brotherhood is called 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 such exact copies in all of Spain. This copy was given by a group called the Centro Español de Sindonología (Spanish Center of Sindonology) in the Canary Islands. 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 held the first public viewing of the Shroud in the Canary Islands. This happened during the Jubilee Year. It was a special event to remember the display of the original Shroud in Turin Cathedral.

Nearby Military Barracks

Right next to the Royal Shrine, there is a 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 image of Christ on the altar.
The bell of the Shrine.
The famous image of the Cristo de La Laguna.
A replica of the Shroud of Turin. You can see it at the Museum of the Sanctuary.