El Tanque

Municipality: El Tanque

History

In the 16th century, an important number of colonists were residing in that municipality. The growth of the municipality was slow due to the orography of the area (area with high slopes and malpaíses (accident relief characterized by the presence of weathered volcanic rocks in an arid environment )), that was impeding the development of the agriculture. But it did not prevent that there was an important number of cultivations, which needed some way for its irrigation and with this intention, a small reservoir is constructed. In the proximities of the same one, there arose numerous housings, which at the time would meet place in the urban core of El tanque (it means watertight, and the name of the municipality is due to its construction) , emphasizing the construction of the hermitage of San Antonio in 1540.

The increase of the prices of the wheat and the barley, due to the to the increase of the lands dedicated to the cultivation of the vineyard, this fact did that the conditions of the population were hardening. 

Era (circle made for thresh wheat)

During these centuries, the region suffers a series of calamities ( infect of lobster, bad crops, droughts) that complicates much more the economic existing situation.

In the 17th century and the XVIIIth, the situation did not improve. Before the fall of the trade of the wine, the lands devote themselves to the cultivation of cereals (wheat and maize) and potato for a self-consuming (in the main).

The population was marked by the emigration, supposing the loss of important workforce. This owes, apart from the plagues before mentioned and the crises, to the eruption of 1706, moment in the one that began the building of the El Tanque Alto (population core).  

El Tanque

Representative Buildings

Parroquia de San Antonio de Padua (Sant Antonio´s Church): it was declared BIC in 2011. It was constructed as a hermitage in 1540, with a ship and major chapel. In 1668 the sacristy and the ossuary were constructed in 1678. The belfry was reached in 1679, whereas the Calvary and the way in 1698. Though the choir of wood was bought, it was in steps of being placed just before the eruption. In 1706 the temple remained satiny, but the images were moved  to the Public granary and el Santo (The Saint) was trasladeted to la Parroquia de Nuestra Señora de la Luz, in Los Silos. For the new construction it was thought about the former layout. Due to the penuries of the zone, the works did not conclude until 1770. During the 60s of last century, the tower was modified.

In the interior stands out the major altarpiece of two bodies with attic. We can  find Nuestra Señora del Buen Viaje ( Our Lady of the Good Trip), San Miguel Arcángel (San Miguel Archangel) y San Antonio de Padua, being three heights of the 16th century. Other representations that we can find are Cristo Crucificado (Christ Crucify),  la Dolorosa (The Painful),  San Juan Evangelista (San Juan Evangelist) , Santa Elena (Holy Elena), all of them images between the XVIIth and XVIIIth century.

San Antonio´s Church

The Watertight: nowadays we can find only some primitive walls stay of what it gave origin to the municipality.

The Watertight

La Casa de los Marteles (The house of the Marteles):  it was declared BIC in 2011. This house dated in the 17th century and it did not suffer hurts derived from the eruption of 1706. In the front one finds a small central balcony of board on girders. The principal door and one of the windows are protected windows by an alpende (cover with demolished supported by columns, as a portico) by cover of tile. Nowadays it is in ruins, but nonetheless it possesses the captivation of the times in those that it was constructed.

Los Marteles´s Hause

La Alhóndiga (The Public granary):  it was declared BIC in 2011. It possesses two floors with windows and doors without symmetry, it was the authentic center of the socio-political life of the locality. It was a place destined to guard the cereals, then to be distributed between the neighbors in times of bad crops. Nowadays it is reformed. 

One door of the granary

The real estate that we have named, is in the El Tanque, the first core of the municipality of  El tanque. Nevertheless along all this municipality real estate can be visited by the same characteristics as  La Casa de los Guzmanez (The House of the Guzmanes),  La Casa de los Viudos in El Tanque Alto, Las Eras del Volcán (circle made for thresh wheat) and las Eras de Franquis, etc.

Mirador de la Atalaya (Veranda)