The Cabildo of Lanzarote will promote the creation of the Casa Torres Museum in the Villa de Teguise, a cultural center that seeks to preserve the legacy of Canarian migration to Texas and strengthen the ties between Lanzarote and San Antonio, Texas. This was announced by the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, during a visit to the 18th-century building, in which he was accompanied by the mayor of Teguise, Olivia Duque, and the mayor of San Antonio, Ron Nirenberg, who is on an official visit to the island with an institutional and business delegation from Texas.
The Casa Torres, acquired by the Government of the Canary Islands, was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest in 1985 and is currently in the restoration phase. Its conversion into a museum will be "a key testimony to the shared history between Lanzarote and San Antonio that began in 1731 when a group of families from Lanzarote emigrated to Texas, founding the city of San Antonio and actively participating in the creation of the region."
President Oswaldo Betancort highlighted the importance of collaboration between Lanzarote and San Antonio in this project. "The Casa Torres Museum will be a symbol of the historical connection between our two regions. It will be a place that will allow future generations to know and appreciate the value of those who crossed the Atlantic more than 290 years ago, thus strengthening our cultural, academic and tourist ties and allowing new opportunities for collaboration."
In the words of the mayor of Teguise, Olivia Duque, "the Casa Torres is an architectural jewel that deserves to be preserved and valued. This important project not only has a strong cultural component, but will also contribute to enhancing the identity of Teguise and Lanzarote. It is an honor for our municipality to host this museum, which will not only be a place of remembrance, but also a center of knowledge and a driving force for cooperation between Lanzarote and Texas."
For his part, the mayor of San Antonio, Ron Nirenberg, stressed the importance of this initiative as a point of union between both regions: "The migration of the people of Lanzarote to San Antonio is an integral part of our history. Through the creation of this museum, we not only celebrate that legacy, but also create a collaboration platform that will contribute to further strengthening the ties between our communities, promoting cultural, academic and tourist exchange between our two cities."
An interpretation center of Canarian migration to Texas
The Casa Torres Museum is projected as "the first space in the Canary Islands dedicated to the history of Canarian migration to Texas, and will become an interpretation center that will narrate the experience of the 16 family groups that migrated in 1731." In addition to the permanent exhibition on migration, restoration work is being carried out on the property, with the support of experts in history and museography, to ensure that the building and its content remain a faithful testimony to this legacy.
The creation of the museum also contemplates collaboration with the Alamo Museum and the Alamo Trust in San Antonio, as well as the signing of agreements with various key institutions in Texas to promote academic, cultural and tourist exchange. In the long term, the creation of the Canary Islands - Texas Foundation is expected to ensure the sustainability of the project.