The Cabildo of Fuerteventura, through the Memoria Viva 2025 employment plan, has carried out cleaning, painting, and conservation work on the mills of Villaverde, in La Oliva. The initiative, funded with €472,007, aims to preserve the island's historical heritage.
The mills of Villaverde, one of the most emblematic ethnographic groups in the municipality of La Oliva, have been the subject of a rehabilitation intervention under the Memoria Viva 2025 project. The Councillor for Human Resources of the Cabildo, Nuria Cabrera, and the Mayor of La Oliva, Isaí Blanco, supervised the work carried out by a team of 17 workers from the employment plan on Tuesday.
An investment of €472,007 for Majorero heritage
The project, co-financed by the Cabildo of Fuerteventura and the Government of the Canary Islands through the Canary Islands Development Fund (FDCAN), has a budget of €472,007.63 in labour costs. For a year, a team of skilled workers, labourers, and administrative staff has been dedicated to conditioning and rehabilitating public heritage spaces throughout the island.
At the mills of Villaverde, the work has included interior and exterior cleaning, painting, conservation of wooden elements, and door repairs. The aim is to maintain in good condition one of the most representative historical testimonies of Majorero agricultural culture, attracting visitors interested in cultural tourism.
Nuria Cabrera highlighted that the project "combines two fundamental objectives: generating employment opportunities and contributing to the conservation of our heritage." For his part, Mayor Isaí Blanco thanked the coordination between administrations to rehabilitate historically valuable infrastructures in La Oliva.
Actions in several municipalities of Fuerteventura
Memoria Viva 2025 is not limited to the mills of Villaverde. Work has already been carried out at the Casa del Arrendatario de Cofete, in Pájara, where roofs were waterproofed, carpentry was restored, and drainage systems were conditioned. The wrestling field in Casillas del Ángel, in Puerto del Rosario, was also rehabilitated with cleaning, restoration of stands, and painting.
Currently, teams continue to work at the Casa Alta de Tindaya, in La Oliva, and at the mill of Valles de Ortega, in Antigua. In these locations, cleaning, restoration of carpentry, and conservation of wooden elements are being carried out.
The Councillor for Cultural Heritage, Rayco León, emphasized that "the conservation of heritage requires continuous action, and projects like Memoria Viva allow for intervention in different locations on the island to ensure their maintenance and enhancement."
Local employment and enhancing heritage
The employment plan not only recovers historical spaces but also promotes local employment on the island. The 17 workers on the project are residents of Fuerteventura, which helps to boost the economy of the involved municipalities. Furthermore, the initiative aims to dignify Majorero historical heritage and strengthen cultural tourism, a key sector for the island.
For the residents of La Oliva and all of Fuerteventura, the restoration of the mills of Villaverde represents an opportunity to rediscover their history. These mills, witnesses to agricultural tradition, are now becoming a tourist and cultural attraction that can be visited freely.
The Memoria Viva 2025 project will conclude in the coming months, but its effects will endure: the rehabilitated spaces will be handed over to the municipalities for public use. Those wishing to learn about the mills of Villaverde can visit the village of Villaverde, in La Oliva, where this ethnographic group is located.
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