The Municipal Corporation of Arrecife made an institutional visit this Wednesday at noon to the main church of San Ginés Obispo, Holy Patron. Yonathan de León, together with the councilors of the Corporation, was received at the main door of the church by the parish priest, Juan Carlos Medina. This 2023 commemorates the 225th anniversary of the founding of the Parish of San Ginés Obispo, giving rise to the creation of the municipality of Arrecife, and for this reason, this act and institutional visit have been carried out.
Arrecife was a port before it was a city and capital. "We were born as a refuge for boats with a natural anchorage next to the islets that surround our city, which allowed the birth of the Port of Arrecife in La Puntilla, next to the bank of the Charco de San Ginés," de León remarked.
In 1574, the first hermitage in honor of San Ginés was founded in the Port of Arrecife, next to the current area of La Puntilla. After suffering a flood, the building was moved to its current location. It was rebuilt in 1665 and after several extensions, the church was classified as a parish in 1798, by the then Bishop of the Canary Islands, Antonio Tavira.
In the second half of the 18th century, Arrecife had a notable port infrastructure. The inauguration of the historic Muelle de Las Cebollas dates from the year 1792, and the first cemetery was located behind the current church. It would achieve the capital of Lanzarote in the second half of the last century.
In his speech, the mayor highlighted this important anniversary, where the City Council has "joined in commemorating this anniversary with the official visit." "Since then, 225 years ago, San Ginés has always been very united to our history and lives", he declared. "Turning history into a shared space and feeling proud of our past and present, and having reason to hope for the great future that we project for Arrecife as the capital of Lanzarote," said the mayor, recalling his words already reflected in the official greeting of the San Ginés festivities, which are currently taking place this August, and where the Council wanted to "highlight this historical commemoration."
"Feeling proud of our past and present, and having reason to hope for the great future that we project for Arrecife"
De León, the spokespersons of the political groups PP, CC and PSOE, present at the event, together with the councilors of the Municipal Corporation attended the institutional visit. The councilors attended wearing the councilor's medal, where they were received with a resounding peal of bells, whose bell tower was until the late 60s of the last century the highest construction in the city.
The mayor offered the baton of command of the city to the holy patron, San Ginés Obispo. Concluding the visit with the signing of the parish priest, Juan Carlos, in the 'Golden Book of the city of Arrecife', at the request of the capital's mayor.