Local overview
San Cristóbal de La Laguna is a city and municipality in the northern part of the island of Tenerife in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, on the Canary Islands, Spain. The former capital of the Canary Islands, the city is the third-most populous city of the archipelago and the second-most populous city of the island.
In 1999 the historical center of La Laguna was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, after being nominated by Spain. La Laguna is situated alongside the city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife; thus, the two cities and municipalities form a single large urban center. Its economy is business-oriented while agriculture dominates the northeastern portion of the city. The urban area dominates the central and the southern parts.
La Laguna is considered to be the cultural capital of the Canary Islands. It holds the incorrupt body of Sor María de Jesús, and the Christ of La Laguna (Cristo de La Laguna).
A landmark of the city is the Cathedral of La Laguna, which is the Catholic cathedral of Tenerife and its diocese (Diocese of Tenerife). Important historical figures of the city include Amaro Pargo, one of the famous corsairs of the Golden Age of Piracy, and José de Anchieta, Catholic saint, missionary, and founder of the cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The 16th- century young woman, Catalina Lercaro, was said to have committed suicide rather than accept an arranged marriage she opposed. Her spectre or ghost is said to haunt her former family mansion, now used as a museum of history of Tenerife.
