Government funding for historic military site
The Canary Islands government’s Department of Universities, Science, Innovation and Culture is to allocate €118,000 to Santa Úrsula Town Council to fund the restoration of Batería de La Quinta, a historic enclave on Tenerife’s north coast. The recovery project will preserve one of the island’s most significant examples of defensive architecture and pave the way for its transformation into a space for cultural and heritage interpretation.
The grant, awarded directly on grounds of public interest with advance payment, will go towards the recovery, rehabilitation and heritage adaptation of the former military installation, which has fallen into an advanced state of deterioration after decades of neglect. The intervention will secure the preservation of the building, improve its functional condition and lay the groundwork for its inclusion in public policies for the protection, promotion and social use of cultural heritage.
Future museum and interpretation centre
As well as ensuring the preservation of the site, the project will adapt the battery for future museum use, strengthening Santa Úrsula’s heritage and cultural appeal and expanding the range of spaces dedicated to conserving and showcasing the history of Tenerife. The work also represents the first step towards developing the museum proposal promoted by the Directorate General for Culture and Cultural Heritage, which focuses on telling the story of the island’s military history and boosting archaeological research linked to the site.
The project includes plans for an interpretation centre that will bring to life the defensive role the battery once played and introduce visitors to a lesser-known facet of Tenerife’s archaeological heritage.
Historical significance beyond the military
The historical importance of the enclave extends beyond its military use. The battery has strong links to José García Borges, one of the captains stationed at the installation, whose involvement in the discovery of various indigenous archaeological sites contributed to understanding of Tenerife’s past, giving the location added historical and scientific value.
Batería de La Quinta played a strategic role during the Second World War, when it served as a lookout point along the north coast in anticipation of a possible invasion. Its privileged position allowed surveillance of a wide stretch of coastline, making it a key element of the island’s defensive system. After the conflict ended, the site was gradually abandoned, and the passage of time took its toll on a structure of which only the original framework now remains standing.
Collaboration and future plans
The Director General for Culture and Cultural Heritage, Miguel Ángel Clavijo, highlighted the importance of recovering this heritage space, underlining its strategic, historical and landscape value. In his view, the rehabilitation offers an opportunity to share both the history of Tenerife’s defences and the archaeological knowledge associated with the enclave.
The initiative forms part of the Directorate General for Culture and Cultural Heritage’s strategy to strengthen collaboration with island cabildos and town councils, promote coordinated planning of conservation policies, and support the recovery, protection and promotion of the archipelago’s cultural assets.
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