After several years of intense rehabilitation work, the Timple House-Museum reopens its doors with a renewed museographic proposal, an updated image and new contents that consolidate its position as a reference center for the preservation, study and dissemination of traditional Canarian culture.
Located in the historic Spínola Palace, in the heart of the Villa de Teguise, the museum reopens with free admission throughout the month of May as an open invitation to citizens to rediscover this unique space in the world, dedicated to one of the most representative symbols of the cultural soul of the Canary Islands: the timple.
The reopening was presided over by the mayor of Teguise, Olivia Duque, together with the Councilor for Culture, Francisco Javier Díaz, the president of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, Oswaldo Betancort, and the curator of the Casa Museo Benito Cabrera, accompanied by renowned representatives of the world of music, crafts and heritage.
The mayor of Teguise declared that "the Timple House-Museum is not just a museum, it is a place of memory and living creation, a beacon that projects our deepest identity towards the future." "We are opening its doors with free admission during May to invite you to rediscover this renovated space, which is the pride of Teguise and the entire Canary Islands," she said.
The president of the Island Corporation, Oswaldo Betancort, pointed out that this modern and completely renovated building "symbolizes a new advance for the culture of Lanzarote and allows us to offer a more complete look at the history and evolution of the timple."
For his part, the curator of the Timple House-Museum, Benito Cabrera, explained the main novelties of this new space, such as the conditioning of the original ceiling of the building, the renovation of a good part of the exhibition elements and the incorporation of new instruments to the collection.
An integral cultural space at the service of the island identity
Directed by the musician and timple player Benito Cabrera, the Timple House-Museum was born in 2011 as a museum project of regional scope, promoted by the Government of the Canary Islands and managed by the City Council of Teguise. Its vocation is threefold: to preserve, investigate and disseminate the rich sound legacy, craftsmanship and identity that revolves around the timple.
The new museographic project is articulated in several thematic rooms that tell the history of the municipality of Teguise, spaces that show the origins of the timple, with examples from all the islands and pieces from local artisans, a new media library, and a craft workshop explaining the phases of the construction process.
Heritage recovery
One of the most significant actions of this renovation has been the recovery and conditioning of the original ceilings of the Spínola Palace, an intervention of great architectural value that returns the building to its historical essence. This restoration has respected the traditional structure and materials, further enhancing the majesty of the building.
This action reaffirms the museum's mission not only as a cultural container, but as heritage in itself, located in an architectural jewel of the 18th century, whose history is linked to illustrious figures such as Salvador Clavijo y Fajardo, Tomás Feo and the Spínola family.
The design of the museography has been carried out by Goyo Ucle, with the participation of Coescénica Proyección Visual S.L. in the graphic and exhibition section. The institutional image of the museum maintains its original logo, the work of Rodrigo Cornejo, while the audiovisual contents have been developed by Raúl Pulido, Daniel Morales and Benito Cabrera himself.
Spínola Palace: a recovered symbol
The museum is located in the emblematic Spínola Palace, declared in 1989 as the Official Residence of the Government of the Canary Islands in Lanzarote. The house was subjected to a comprehensive restoration in the 70s, under the direction of the architect Fernando Higueras and with the collaboration of the artist César Manrique. This intervention was a milestone in the conservation of the architectural heritage of the island. Today, the building shines again, reaffirming its function as a space for cultural, artistic and heritage encounters.
A museum with continuous activity
Despite the temporary closure of its permanent exhibition, the museum has maintained its cultural programming throughout this time. As a sample of this continuity, this Sunday, May 25, at 12:00 noon, the courtyard will host the show Fina estampa, by the singer from Gran Canaria, Iván Quintana. The House Museum can be visited from Monday to Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
