History and Horatio Nelson

The area on which the city now stands has been the subject of human occupation since the time of Guanches, approximately 2000 years ago, as attested by the archaeological sites which have been found.  An example of this is the famous mummy of San Andres.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife occupies Anaza a name given by the Guanches, the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the islands. It was here where the Adelantado landed Fernandez de Lugo and planted a cross that gave its name to the city. This cross is kept in the church of La Concepcion and was taken in procession on the day of the Cross (May 3).

It was in April 1494 he landed to conquer and occupy the island archipelago, with a troop from the Peninsula and Canary Islands and consisted of about 2,000 men on foot and 200 horses. On this occasion, and after the First Battle of Acentejo, he left the island with a better armed and trained army. The Adelantado returned to Tenerife in 1495 and after rebuilding the military stronghold of Santa Cruz Anaza, initiated the final conquest.

Over time, it became one of the most important ports in the Atlantic (that distinction still remains), and that the Canaries were an inevitable step for the fleet that set off for America.

Eighteenth and nineteenth century

The eighteenth century represents the true population and urban development in Santa Cruz. In 1705 there was the volcanic eruption of Trevejo, lava that buried the thriving port of Garachico, who was the principal of the island, with no possible recovery, thus leading the port of Santa Cruz to become the priority.  In 1723 there was the settlement movement and residency of the Commander General of Lorenzo Villavincencio (Captaincy General of the Canary Islands), whom until then had been based in La Laguna.  Economic development and cultural flowering, caused in large measure the opening of the first printed edition of the Canaries and the regular press (1751).

Horatio Nelson

Santa Cruz confirmed its defensive strength at the Plaza Fuerte Admiral victory over Jennings in 1706 and in 1797 Horatio Nelson on June 27th (day of Santiago), recorded the most important military event in the history of the city.  Troops and citizens were defended under the command of General Gutierrez, the Rear of the English naval attack,  powerful British Navy went on to retire, but not before Nelson lost an arm (by a gunshot from Castle High Pass with the “Tigre cannon,” cannon that can be visited in the Museo Militar del Castillo de Almeida).

In the early nineteenth century, in 1803, King Charles IV granted the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife the right to establish their own town council, under the name “very loyal, and noble invicta Villa Santa Cruz de Tenerife Santiago,” which meant emancipation with respect to the administrative town of La Laguna, through the Royal Decree of August 28.

In 1833 the political and administrative Santa Cruz, was finally recognized when it was designated as the capital of the only province that was to form Canarias (Canary Islands Province), competing with the cities of La Laguna and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. Contributing to this political appointment was Meade and Joseph Murphy, the captain and the military commissariat.

1852 saw further development of the Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and the “Villa” as a commercial enclave.

In 1859 it obtained the title of “City” by Royal Decree on May 29th and in 1894 was awarded the title of “very beneficial” by the Royal Decree on April 23^rd for the behavior of its neighbors during the epidemic of cholera last year.