Aspala Icehouse

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Memory · Subcategory: Sites of memory · Year: 1810

One of the most distinguished leisure places that Santa Cruz has had throughout its history was an "icehouse" or "botillería" (sweet shop or ice cream parlour), which was located in the upper part of what is now Plaza de la Candelaria. The establishment, owned by an Italian named Aspala, was quite a sensation due to its varied interior design, unusual in early 19th-century Santa Cruz, which at that time was so concerned about the course of the Napoleonic Wars. 

The venue, inaugurated on 25 July 1810, surprised from the outset with its "distinguished" appearance and exclusive luxury. Outside, facing the square, it had a carefully crafted iron grille painted. The spacious interior was arranged into several rooms where twenty-four mahogany tables with candelabra stood on a floor covered with mats "of special taste". The walls were fresco-painted by the local artist Miguel Arroyo, who unleashed all his imagination by creating architectural perspectives with landscape backgrounds. The main room also featured a large wall clock, and the glass, a costly and rare material at the time, was evident in doors, cupboards, counters, and the globes used for lighting. The interior decoration was complemented by small "well-drawn" paintings depicting English landscapes with scenes of forests, fields, hunting, and fishing.  

Aspala's "icehouse" was a truly "classy" establishment, where prominent members of the city's society used to gather to enjoy a variety of ice creams, sweets, and both hot and refreshing drinks.

We do not know how long this luxurious business remained active. Its founding owner and two of his employees died in October 1810, two and a half months after the venue opened, due to the severe yellow fever epidemic that ravaged Santa Cruz during those dates. We do not know if this event was the reason for the definitive closure of such an apparent establishment.

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