The town of Tejina in La Laguna hosts the XII Local History and Heritage Days from July 27 to 31, coinciding with the centenaries of Teatro Unión and the San Sebastián music band.
The municipality of La Laguna, through its town of Tejina, is preparing for a new edition of the Local History and Heritage Days, which this year reaches its twelfth edition. The event, taking place from July 27 to 31, gains special significance as it coincides with the centenaries of two emblematic institutions: Teatro Unión Tejina and the San Sebastián music band.
The inaugural session, scheduled for Monday, July 27 at 19:00 in Teatro Unión, will feature the participation of Antonio Tejera Gaspar, Professor of Archaeology at the University of La Laguna (ULL) and recipient of the Canarias Historical Heritage Award. The academic will give a lecture on the most representative archaeological sites in the area, contextualising the role of the Northeast of Tenerife in the network of Guanche settlements.
On the same day, historian and ULL professor Judit Gutiérrez de Armas will analyse references to Tejina and its surroundings in the documentary archive of the Count of Sietefuentes, held at the Diocesan Archive. Her presentation will provide insights into the social, economic, and religious life of the region during the Modern Age. The session will be presented and moderated by Mirian Arvelo Suárez.
On Tuesday, July 28, under the moderation of Nydia Rodríguez Hernández, the days will continue with a look at the health history of the Northeast. Guadalberto Hernández will address the evolution of medical assistance and community care networks, from the first local devices to the consolidation of modern structures. Following this, researcher in social sciences didactics Laura Isabel Marcano González will examine the presence of Canary Islands content in secondary school textbooks, with special attention to the case of Tejina.
The third session, on Wednesday, July 29 and moderated by Natalia del Castillo Ramos, will be dedicated to the presentation of the third volume of Documents for the History of Tegueste, Tejina, Bajamar, Punta del Hidalgo and Valle de Guerra (18th Century). This collective work, coordinated by Sergio A. Oliva López, gathers unpublished sources on settlement, economy, and daily life in the northeast during the 18th century. Co-authors include Francisco Cejas-Fuentes Padrón, Carlos O. Hernández González, Elías de León Díaz, Juan Elesmi de León Santana, and María del Pilar Vallejo Cuadrado.
The day will conclude with a talk by historian Ricardo Marcos Fajardo Hernández, an expert on military units of Irish origin in the Spanish army, who will discuss the lost Librea of Tejina and its relationship with the Ultonia Regiment, a little-known perspective on the military history linked to the municipality.
The closing will take place on Friday, July 31, again moderated by Nydia Rodríguez Hernández. In this final session, researcher Rubens Ascanio Gómez will present a lecture focused on the memories of residence in Tejina, a journey through testimonies, documents, and stories that allow for the reconstruction of daily life in the town over the last century. Following this, teacher and researcher María José Ruiz González will review the evolution of education in Tejina, from the first schools and traditional methodologies to the pedagogical changes that have shaped generations of Tejina residents.
The edition will culminate with a presentation by Juan Luis Herrera Pérez and Miguel A. López González dedicated to the historical relationship between the Banda de Música San Sebastián and Teatro Unión Tejina, two local institutions that this year celebrate their respective centenaries. The speakers will present milestones, anecdotes, and key moments that have made both entities pillars of the cultural life of the town.
The Councillor for Cultural Heritage of the La Laguna City Council, Adolfo Cordobés, highlighted that these days “constitute a celebration of the community's intangible heritage and add a new dimension to the festive calendar, reaffirming that the Patron Saint Festivities in honour of San Bartolomé are not only about devotion and joy, but also about memory and knowledge.” For the councillor, the initiative “preserves collective memory, strengthens local identity, and ensures the transmission of knowledge between generations.”
All sessions will begin at 19:00 in Teatro Unión Tejina, with free access until capacity is reached. The programme aims to unite community and cultural groups to revalue local history, an essential part of the soul of Tejina and all of La Laguna.
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