The Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, through the Insular Historical Heritage Service, has launched 'Surcando la Memoria', a digital platform that collects and disseminates oral testimonies from locals to preserve the intangible heritage of the island.
The Cabildo of Lanzarote and La Graciosa presented 'Surcando la Memoria' this Thursday, a digital platform created with the aim of collecting, conserving, and disseminating the oral memory of the island. The initiative, driven by the Insular Historical Heritage Service, begins with a wide selection of interviews with residents from different municipalities addressing topics such as agriculture, livestock, fishing, traditional crafts, and the social evolution of the island.
The president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, who is also the councillor for Historical Heritage, emphasised the importance of this project: “The memory of a people is preserved in documents, in archaeological sites, and also lives in the people who have transmitted, from generation to generation, the way of understanding and living in this land. With 'Surcando la Memoria', we take another step to preserve that legacy and make it accessible to all citizens.”
Betancort added that “each of these testimonies constitutes a part of our collective history. They are stories that help us understand how Lanzarote and La Graciosa have evolved and that, without initiatives like this, could be lost over time.”
The platform, accessible for free at surcandolamemoria.es, allows users to consult the interviews through various search criteria, facilitating access for both researchers and educational centres as well as anyone interested in learning about the island's history and traditions from the voices of its protagonists.
Far from being a static project, 'Surcando la Memoria' is designed with a future-oriented vision. The Historical Heritage Service invites all citizens to actively participate in the initiative, whether by contributing documents or proposing new interviews about local history and culture. The goal is to continue enriching this bank of oral memory, which is presented as pioneering and unique in the Canary Islands.
The platform thus becomes a reference tool for understanding the recent history of the island through those who lived it. The collected testimonies cover everything from popular architecture to toponymy, local customs, and the landscape, offering a multifaceted view of Lanzarote's identity.
For the residents of Lanzarote and La Graciosa, this initiative represents a unique opportunity to preserve and share their memories, ensuring that the experiences of past generations do not fade into oblivion. The Cabildo hopes that the platform will become an intergenerational meeting point and a primary educational resource.
The launch of 'Surcando la Memoria' is part of the Cabildo's strategy to protect the intangible heritage of the island, complementing other actions in archaeology and documentary conservation. With this tool, Lanzarote positions itself at the forefront of preserving oral memory in the Canary archipelago.
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