Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Concepción

In the capital of the Island of Tenerife, Santa Cruz is the Iglesia Matriz de la Concepción, the main temple of the city and so they call it the Cathedral of Santa Cruz although it does not meet the characteristics of a cathedral or a basilica.

The Church of the Conception was built on the first hermitage that the conquerors who came to the island built. It began to be built in 1500 and was founded by father Juan Guerra, in the area where the first Christian mass was celebrated on the island shortly after the city was created.

In the church of the Concepción, the baroque Canarian and Tuscan style predominates and is made up of 5 naves that is the result of the different extensions. The most outstanding elements are the high tower and Canarian balconies located on the façade, in addition to the temple that houses the Santa Cruz Fundacional that brought Alonso Fernández de Lugo when he arrived on the island.

The ceilings of the church are covered by Mudejar coffered ceilings, the main altar is baroque-churrigueresque, and the organ of the Bevington and Sons, imported from London. The interior of the church is worth visiting, for its style and the images it houses.