Church of El Pilar

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Architecture · Subcategory: Religious architecture · Year: 1755 · Authors: Alonso García Ledesma

The construction of the Church of El Pilar began in 1752 and was not completed until three years later. The building, made of ashlar masonry, was carried out under the direction of master stonemason Alonso García Ledesma. Its original structure consisted of a single nave, with a transept, main chapel, and coffered ceilings. The plot on which it was erected was located on a hill known as Cerrillo del Toscal, a place on the outskirts of the town where there were already a few houses. 

In the Church of El Pilar, elections for mayor and common deputies were held sporadically. It was also here that the authorities met after the Battle of Nelson to request the granting of the title of town to the place. Since 1802, it was granted the benefit of being an auxiliary parish. 

Today we can admire inside the splendid altarpiece of the main chapel, made of cedar wood, unpainted, with polychrome medallions. The temple also houses the image of Our Lady of Sorrows, created by the Tenerife sculptor Miguel Arroyo Villalba, dated around 1810. This image, which processes every Good Friday, is one of the most popular in Santa Cruz, since in 1912 the republican councillor Emilio Calzadilla Dugour, then first deputy mayor, paid out of his own pocket for the band to accompany the procession. Since then, it has been known as the procession of the republicans.

Currently, the building appears altered from its original appearance, as in the mid-20th century two side naves were added that have nothing to do with the Mudejar tradition of the ensemble.

28.469168, -16.252158