Galdosian route: 12. Hermitage of San Telmo

Las Palmas de Gran Canaria · Category: Routes · Subcategory: Galdosian route

On his last visit to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Galdós expresssed to the Fraternity of San Telmo his desire to own one of the little boats still preserved at the temple so that «it could figure in the worthy museum he has in his country house in Santander».

The Diario de Las Palmas daily newspaper, on 29.10.1894, announced that the President approached Galdós personally to tell him «he could take any of the miniature boats that were held there. It says that Galdós offered in return his autograph to the Fraternity as a sign of his recognition for the gift given to him». And it adds: «Galdós' strange whim can be explained by the fact as a boy he used to go there with the desire, which was never satisfied, to admire the collection of tiny boats the church of San Telmo owned around that time. Galdós has just said that seeing them all gave him some strange feelings. It is now clear why one of his first visits back here was to the church, which he was looking around in great detail a few days ago».

[The Hermitage de San Telmo] was built near the sea shore, at the start of the 16th century, financed by the Seamen's Fraternity of San Telmo.

It currently stands away from the sea edge of the Atlantic, due to the building of the "Ciudad del Mar" and bus station, and now sits snugly in San Telmo Park. The inside features a magnificent coffered Mudejar style ceiling and an Immaculate statue attributed to Alonso Cano.

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