La Victoria

Municipality: La Victoria de Acentejo

History

In the pre-Hispanic epoch this place belonged to the Menceyato de Acentejo. It was found some proof of the existence of Los Guanches in the sepulchral cave in El Caletón, with human remains and ceramics.

In this place,  Alonso Fernandez de Lugo won the victory to Los Guanches,being able get this way in Taoro. For that reason this place was called La Victoria (the victory). In 1945 the battle took place near the Ravine of La Matanza, and as a commemoration of the victory a hermitage was built under the name of our Lady of the Victory. After this battle, many aborigines were enslaved.

In La Victoria

When the distribution of lands was given, this zone was considered cerealística (grain culture). From the 16th century the grapevine was begun to be cultivated  (in the third decade), in low zones and mediocrities. This gives a place to the concentration of propertied absentees.

Cereals and wine are the principal productions, of dryness since the irrigation does not exist (that was a reason of some conflicts in the municipality). There was a spring that had an unequal form of distribution of the water. Since 1920 more conflicts took place due to the opening gallery in the zone, whose owners were foreign or not residing in the zone.

Town Hall

As for the handcrafted production, slabs and a blacksmith were producing. In the municipality, it was not possessed a public granary (as in other municipalities); the middle class of the zone was agrarian, and most of the primogenitures belong to foreign owners. 

The population, like it happened in other municipalities, grows and descends according to the economic growth; migratory movements were seen when the principal products stop being exported (in this municipality it is the wine).

To the Church

Though it is not a very trustworthy information, La Victoria accedes to the municipal independence in 1813, and in 1900 it reaches the title of Villa. In the coastal zone the banana plantation is implanted  after the second world war, but it  is not very significant.

The population leaves the primary sector when the tourism activity was appeared. In the zones of mediocrities we see potatoes cultures and vineyards, which have been revealed thanks to the name of origin. 

Representative buildings

We cannot speak about historical city in the strict sense in La Victoria, since only any houses stay about the parish. They also find some rural household  distributed around the municipality (but all this surrounded with more modern constructions).

Nuestra Señora de la Victoria: declared BIC. It is find the pine, close to the paris, of which the bells were hung after the victory (since the first hermitage was a very precarious construction, in dry stone and of an unique ship). In 1537 the hermitage begins to be built. In 1540 one saw favored by the contribution in lands and in taxes that there leaves one of the major owners of the zone, leaving it in his testament. 

This one constituted of a central broad ship and two wings narrow, these are separated for series of arches of half a point. It possesses an artesonado of ochavado (panelling). 

Tower of the Church

It has suffered several reforms: in 1537 there is realized a more solid building of an unique ship. In 1589 it is reconstructed after a fire. But the worst carried out in the 20th century, altering the main face, then that also modified the tower. The rest of temple supports the factory of the XVIIth and XVIIIth century, showing covers to two waters of curved tail

Pine

Hermitage of Santo Domingo: it was founded at the end of the XVIIth in an estate. It is a chapel that is nailed in a Mudejar Casona (Mudejar: artistic style; and casona: big house).

Hermitage of Santo Domingo

Ex-convent of Santo Domingo: it is a construction of 1657 close to the hermitage of Santo Domingo. It was serving as friars' stop, that they were going to Isla Baja. It is a house with the court and continuous balcony, front of masonry and cover to four waters. A press preserves. The construction finished in 1680, though it has been remodelled. The current facilities possess a mediators' housing, the hermitage and a warehouse.

Santo Domingo

Hermitage of San Juan: It is located in the high zone of the city center, and it was founded at the beginning of the XVIIIth, having to be rebuilt since the temporary leave it only with the walls.

It  is of simple architecture, emphasizing in the front a door of wood of half a point that rests in a few simple props. The cover is two waters, with a small belfry with a cross in the center. In the  interior Baptizer was sheltering the image of San Juan, carved in wood being thought that it dates back of the XVIIIth.

Here, we can also find the house of Deán Calzadilla (at the back).

Hermitage and House

Risco (Crag) de La Sabina: declared BIC, is the limit between the municipal areas of La Victoria and La Matanza. The zone constitutes an archaeological area of great relevancy. Numerous findings have been situated, being able to be an important pre-Hispanic accession taking advantage of the numerous caves and opened hollows. Between  the findings, there were remains of malacofauna (fauna of mollusks), ceramics, obsidian, basalt...

The caves documented in the zone characterize for a double functionality habitacional (the caves in the top part of the cliff) and undertaker's establishment.

Views to the Crag

Others of the heritages  to visit are The Hermitage of Virgen del Cobre: and El Puente de Hierro  (already one spoke of in Santa Úrsula). Also in the nuclei of Los Altos-Arroyos, Bajos y Tagoro, La Resbala, La Vera-Caril and La Victoria, we can find some building.

In La Victoria