The initiative in San Miguel is part of the Historical Heritage Programme 2023-2027
Tenerife’s Cabildo has invested over €400,000 in the restoration of the house of historian Juan Bethencourt Alfonso, located in the municipality of San Miguel de Abona. As part of this grant, the town hall is committed to co-financing the works by contributing 10% of the total budget, which is estimated at half a million euros.
Isabel de Esteban, the island’s Director of Historical Heritage and Planning, explains that this initiative is part of the island’s Historical Heritage Programme 2023-2027, which “aims to restore to the municipalities of the island the knowledge and enjoyment of heritage assets. This will attract both residents and visitors, incorporating them into the tourism offer and generating employment.” In this regard, the rehabilitation project includes the installation of a museum centre dedicated to the distinguished historian.
The restoration of Juan Bethencourt Alfonso’s house is part of a broader plan by the Cabildo to rehabilitate historically significant buildings. Other properties included in this initiative are Casa Sixta in La Matanza de Acentejo, Casa Don Gerardo, and Casa Lola in the municipality of Guía de Isora.
Biographical Information
Juan Bethencourt Alfonso (born San Miguel de Abona, 5 February 1847; died Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 29 August 1913) was a versatile intellectual. Throughout his career, he was a physician, historian, anthropologist, ethnographer, professor, and journalist. His work was primarily characterised by anthropological, ethnographic, and historical research, which produced numerous insights into the culture of the Guanches.
