Plaza del Príncipe

Santa Cruz de Tenerife · Category: Architecture · Subcategory: Squares, streets & markets · Year: 1860 · Authors: Manuel de Oraá

Plaza del Príncipe was the second green space built in Santa Cruz after the creation, at the end of the 18th century, of the Alameda de la Marina. From the moment of its construction in 1860, Plaza del Príncipe has been a square with a clear romantic identity typical of its era. It was appreciated by locals and visitors alike, the former for its pleasant promenade and as a meeting point for bourgeois leisure of an entire era, and the latter for its beautiful, peaceful surroundings amid a lively and thriving urban centre.

It is built on what was the orchard of the old Franciscan convent of San Pedro de Alcántara. Since 1822, following the disentailment of ecclesiastical properties, the Town Hall began to consider the possibility of creating a public promenade in that orchard, but at that time the project was beyond municipal means. In 1838 the orchard was auctioned publicly, ending up in private hands, as the Town Hall could not meet the auction price. Finally, after lengthy negotiations, Mayor Bernabé Rodríguez Pastrana managed to purchase the plot, after obtaining help from the main "fortunes" of the area. The purchase was completed on 7 December 1857. Two days earlier, the war frigate Berenguela had docked in the port of Santa Cruz, bringing news of the birth of the Prince of Asturias (later Alfonso XII), and it was proposed to name the future square after him.

The plans were drawn up by the municipal architect Manuel de Oraá, and work immediately began to clear the site and level the plot, which had a marked slope. Once this objective was achieved and after giving it a slight quadrilateral shape, but with much work still ahead, it was inaugurated on 29 October 1860.

The ornamental and conditioning works continued for years, but from the outset it was intended to give the new square and its surroundings a grandeur lacking in other parts of the town, and it was agreed that the houses built nearby would all be tall and spacious .

The four sides of the square were framed with a basalt stone bench, and above them, in 1863, a cast iron fence was installed. The following year, the magnificent Indian laurels we see today were planted, brought from Cuba. In 1867, 14 Carrara marble vases and two allegorical statues of Spring and Summer were placed at the main entrance, all brought from Genoa. An ornamental cast iron fountain was also commissioned, brought from London, which was placed in the centre of the square in 1870, remaining there until 1929, when it was replaced by the music kiosk we see today. Only the main basin of the iron fountain remains, now located in a side pond of the enclosure. In 1873, the first benches arrived from Paris for resting.

Since then, the place has remained a true oasis of peace and tranquillity amid the urban hustle and bustle that surrounds it. Despite having undergone reforms and touch-ups throughout its history, Plaza del Príncipe retains intact its 19th-century appearance with a romantic spirit.

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