Museo De Historia De Tenerife

Museo De Historia De Tenerife

Francisco Lercaro de León, Lieutenant General of Tenerife, had the house built in 1593. It is a fine example of Canary Island civil architecture. The interior patio is unusual among Canary Island patios in that it has wood carvings on the upper floor. The facade has a central body of stone work, with the coat of arms of the original owner. Another striking feature is the finish of the walls, which imitates renaissance brickwork and patterns. There are some fine tooled wooden panels in the house, with stylised plant designs, highlighting the parapet of the corridor. All the rooms have fine moulded ceilings, the main staircase, made of the same stone that has been used in the entrance portico and in the pillars of the patio, is supported by a dome and a semicircular arch. The building, property of the Island Cabildo, has been restored and fitted out to house the Tenerife History Museum and Island Archives. The eleven rooms are equipped with explanatory panels that take the visitor through the history of the Island. There is an extensive collection of maps of the Canary Islands, with works dating from the 16th century.