Gáldar

Located in the Plaza de Santiago in the town of Gáldar is the Iglesia Matriz de Santiago de los Caballeros. This church, in the historic center of the city, the church has a marked neoclassical style although you can see some Baroque details. The limestone arch frontage stands out between two impressive towers of 35 meters high and with the façade made of materials from the Stonework in gilt stone that had not been used before in any temple built in the Canarian archipelago. The Church of Santiago de los Caballeros has a rectangular floor plan with three naves, a central one that is the one with the highest height, covered by half-barrel vaults and polygonal pillars. The importance of the church and the square in which it is located have led to its being declared Artistic Historic Site. Inside the church you can see works of art, such as goldsmiths and sculptures, the equestrian image of Santiago de los Caballeros, the so-called Niño de los Reyes Católicos which was a gift from the Kings themselves and the painful work of Luján Pérez who was a Canarian imager who was born in Guía. The works of art can be visited in the different chapels and the Museum of Sacred Art.

In Gáldar there is a set of 3 archaeological sites that have the names of La Guancha, El Agujero and Bocabarranco. The La Guancha deposit is a set of 6 aboriginal houses, some tumular constructions and a reciento with a kind of tier that is believed to be the old palace of justice, although It is not entirely clear. This archaeological zone is currently delimited. Second is The Hole, this set consists of aboriginal houses, with a cruciform tendency, a larger set towards the sea side. Finally there is the Bocabarranco deposit, in this part there are several houses of the ancient Canarian ones, also they have been discovered structures of great walls, after several studies it has arrived to the conclusion that these constructions date from the seventh century. This site closer to the sea also offers structures still buried near the cliff and some outcrop of walls in it. In the studies that have been carried out, pieces of wood have been found that were used as tools for the construction of the structures. It is one of the most recognized sites in the archipelago, the most interesting is that there is much more to dig.

In Galdar on the island of Gran Canaria you can visit the Cueva Pintada Museum and Archaeological Park, a place whose objective is to guarantee conservation, research and dissemination from one of the most unique sites on the island. A program of didactic and dissemination actions regarding its thematic contents is also carried out. The painted Cave was discovered in the 19th century and is a fantastic example of the artistic representations of the ancient origins of Gran Canaria s. The Cueva de Gáldar is excavated in volcanic material, the walls are decorated by geometric motifs. Experts consider that due to the regular distribution of these reasons makes think that it is a calendar. In addition to these geometric paintings, ancient vestiges of houses have also been found where different utensils and tools were found. The Museum and Archaeological Park Cueva Pintada de Gálda r was re-inaugurated on July 26, 2006 after being for about 20 years restoring and carrying out works to recover the site. The archaeological complex has a didactic classroom, a laboratory, a library and a multi-purpose room.

Another place to visit in the great canary municipality of Gáldar is the Faro de Punta Sardina, located in the neighborhood of Sardina del Norte. This lighthouse marks the maritime navigation in the northeast area of the island. The lighthouse is located on a plateau in the Punta de Sardina, formed by a cylindrical tower and painted with red and white stripes while surrounded by a rectangular enclosure of masonry work. Formerly in this same place existed an old lighthouse that was replaced by the one that nowadays can be visited. The old building was demolished in 1980 and in its place was placed the lighthouse that can be seen today.

Antonio Padrón Rodríguez was a painter, sculptor, ceramist, composer ... who was born in the town of Gáldar. The peculiar style of the artist gave a genuine air to his work, away from influences and with a marked solitary character make his work is something very unique within the art of the Canarian of the twentieth century. In honor of this unique Canarian artist there is the Casa-Museo de Antonio Padrón, in 1933 Dolores Rodríguez Ruíz presented at the Ayuntamiento de Gálda r a request for the construction of a two-story building on Calle Capitán Quesada. Once built it was equipped with art pieces by Antonio Padrón, inside you can see two murals made by the painter to decorate the access by the staircase that connects two floors, they are: Children Doing Kites and Camels of the Ladder. Antonio Padrón lived between 1920 and 1968 in the village of Gáldar, he had the maximum inspiration in the inhabitants of the municipality, he defined himself as "expressionist without tears" The Casa Museo de Antonio Padrón consists of an interesting garden of about one hundred square meters. With respect to the collection you can see three different periods, the first one shows the artist as an indigenist painter. In a second moment a more experimental phase is observed and the last one that is from 1964 his painting becomes more expressive, more forceful and more profound.

The hacienda of Hoya de Pineda, located in the municipality of Gáldar, island of Gran Canaria (Canary Islands, Spain) is located in an important potter's center of antiquity. The construction of the house is related to the family of the Pineda, to which Jerónimo de Pineda belonged, Perpetual Ruler of the Gran Canaria Cabildo. It is one of the most interesting constructions of the rural architecture of Gran Canaria. High floor building with U-shaped floor plan, with three bays that develop around the central patio. The construction is quite simple and as a feature almost generalized in the way of building Canarian highlights the functionality of the forms. The roofs are made of wood and the exterior is made of Arabic tiles. The patio is surrounded by a tall gallery on right feet, with a simple balustrade closure, all in wood. The cover is crenellated. Due to its characteristics, it responds to a hacienda or country house.

Gáldar has one of the oldest religious buildings on the island, it is the Hermitage of San Sebastián, located just at the entrance of the Gran Canarian town. The Hermitage of San Sebastian was built in the sixteenth century, by that time the temple was located next to the road leading to Guide and the capital Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. When it was built it was surrounded by aboriginal dwellings that over time have been disappearing and that were inhabited by the natives themselves and later by the conquerors and colonizers. The hermitage of San Sebastián en Gáldar has a Gothic architectural style, with a pointed arch in the main door, although the style is Mudejar in style. The plant of the hermitage is rectangular and has a triangular sacristy, the simplicity of the building is striking and on the façade you can see a gable adapted from two waters and with a bulrush of a single span. With regard to the interior of the Hermitage of San Sebastián you can see a coffered ceiling with stone paving slabs while the main altar still conserves the bar bricks of its beginnings . Special mention must be made of the main altarpiece of rococo ornaments, a neo-classical style niche where the sculpture of the martyred saint stands out.

In Gáldar there is also an interesting religious point that houses the image of the Virgen de Fátima. This place is the Cave of the Virgin of Fatima and has become a place of pilgrimage for devotees and the surrounding area collects the celebrations each year in honor of Fatima. In this cave is the image of the Virgen de Fátima in 1951 received the Claretian visit of the pilgrim Virgin of Fatima made by the sculptor Francisco Rodríguez , the neighbors of Gáldar were so enchanted by the virgin that in 1963 they acquire another image that is blessed in 1964 and initially located in the Barranco Hondo Public School. Until 1969 the image is not transferred to the current cave, it was Juan Cubas Montesdeoca who bought this cave that the neighbors themselves were responsible for enabling as a sanctuary. The process ends with the consecration two years after Vicar of the Diocese Juan Artiles Sánchez and with the enthronement of the virgin. The Cave of the Virgin of Fatima is listed as Historical Heritage and since 1993 also of Cultural Interest.