On October 29, 1950, the Francoist authorities planned to inaugurate the Cross of the Fallen in Las Palmas square, in front of the church of San Ginés, coinciding with Francisco Franco's visit to Lanzarote. The date was not accidental: that day marked the anniversary of the founding of Falange Española, in 1933. However, the announced event did not take place then. Although the work was finished, its inauguration and blessing were delayed until 1956, according to photographic documentation preserved in the digital archive Memoria de Lanzarote.
The monument was born in the context of the post-war period and the regime's desire to consolidate its interpretation of the Civil War through symbols installed in public spaces. Dedicated to the fallen of the rebel side, the cross occupied a central place in the capital of Lanzarote and became associated with the urban transformation of one of its most representative enclaves.
The photograph taken by the Martinón y Arteta studio on October 28, 1950, included in an album of Franco's visit, contains an annotation stating that the monument was finished but was not inaugurated or blessed until six years later, due to disagreements of a religious and political nature. This testimony allows us to differentiate the planned date for the ceremony from the material completion of the works and the subsequent blessing.
From a painted cross on the church to a monument in the square
The origin of the construction dates back to the early post-war years, when a large black cross painted on the facade of the church of San Ginés, accompanied by a plaque with the names of neighbors who died on the Francoist side, commemorated the war dead. The remodeling of the temple required the opening of a central access on the facade and led to the disappearance of both elements. The decision caused unease among part of the population and led the authorities to promote a new monument in the center of the square.
The change moved the tribute from the church wall to a highly visible public space. The cross thus acquired a prominent presence in the daily life of Arrecife and became an expression of the official memory imposed by the dictatorship, which honored the fallen of one side while excluding the victims of the other.
15,885 pesetas to erect the cross
The financing of the work appears in the historical documentation on the remodeling of the square. In the meeting of the Provincial Council of the Movement held on September 29, 1950, 15,885 pesetas were allocated to build the Cross of the Fallen of Arrecife. In that same session, another 7,000 pesetas were assigned to a commemorative monument in Agaete, Gran Canaria.
The newspaper Falange, in its October 5th edition of that year, reported on the square's renovation works and announced that the monument would be erected in its center. The intervention also included the creation of a small park with benches, flowerbeds, plants, and lighting.
The construction was financed by the Provincial Headquarters of the Movement and the Arrecife City Council. Furthermore, the municipal minutes of September 14, 1950, cited in later historical research, recorded the commitment to have the work ready for Franco's visit scheduled for October 29.
The coincidence between administrative agreements, financing, and published news allows us to place the project in the context of that political event. The remodeling of the square was not limited to urban improvement: it included the installation of a symbol intended to perpetuate the tribute promoted by the regime.
César Manrique and the transformation of the square
The history of this space is also linked to César Manrique, who was involved in its remodeling in 1950. The artist contributed to shaping an urban enclave that would acquire significant heritage value for Arrecife over time.
However, the cross was not part of the original design attributed to Manrique. Historical research on the square indicates that the monument was incorporated by decision of the Francoist authorities and did not appear in the artist's plans.
The distinction is fundamental to understanding the evolution of the place. Manrique's urban intervention and the subsequent installation of the cross responded to different decisions, although both ended up forming part of the same landscape for decades.
The square thus brought together two historical dimensions that should be differentiated: the architectural transformation of the city and the presence of a political symbol of the dictatorship. Recognizing the heritage value of the space does not require ignoring the circumstances under which the monument was incorporated.
Six years until the blessing
The chronology constitutes one of the most relevant aspects of this commemoration. The documentation from Memoria de Lanzarote places the completion of the cross on October 28, 1950, the eve of the date set for its inauguration. However, the event was not held then and the blessing did not arrive until 1956.
The annotation in the photographic album attributes the delay to disagreements between religious and political authorities, although the located documentation does not allow for a detailed reconstruction of the nature of the conflict. To delve deeper into this episode, it would be necessary to consult the ecclesiastical and administrative archives of the time.
Therefore, the most historically rigorous formulation is that the monument was finished in 1950 with a view to Franco's visit and that its inauguration had been announced for October 29, but its blessing was delayed by six years. The difference is important to avoid presenting a planned date as an event that actually took place.
From a Francoist symbol to a controversy over democratic memory
For decades, the cross remained in the center of Las Palmas square. Over time, its historical significance acquired a new dimension within the framework of democratic memory policies and the debate over the permanence of symbols linked to the dictatorship.
The approval of Law 20/2022, on Democratic Memory, and the development of the regional catalog of Francoist symbols, streets, monuments, and mentions reopened the discussion about the future of the ensemble. The study, carried out by specialists from the University of La Laguna, included the cross among the elements that should be examined in light of the regulations.
In July 2025, the monument was removed during the rehabilitation works of the square. The Cabildo of Lanzarote then communicated that it should not be reinstalled, considering the democratic memory legislation applicable. The decision opened a new political and administrative confrontation over the conservation of the piece.
The controversy continued in November of that year, when the mayor of Arrecife, Yonathan de León, and the island councilor for Public Works, Jacobo Medina, announced the reinstallation of the cross. The municipal officials defended its maintenance and argued that the removal had occurred during the works for technical reasons, while those in favor of its elimination insisted on the need to apply current regulations.
The succession of decisions turned the monument into the center of a discussion that transcends its physical presence: what elements of the past should be preserved in public spaces and how should their historical significance be addressed. To determine if subsequent administrative or judicial resolutions have occurred, it is necessary to consult the corresponding official records.
A date to recover the history of Arrecife
October 29, 1950, allows for the reconstruction of a significant episode in the contemporary history of Lanzarote. The cross reflects the use that the dictatorship made of urban planning and commemorative symbols to impose an official memory of the Civil War, focused on the deceased of the victorious side.
Its trajectory also shows how urban spaces accumulate different meanings over time. The square linked to César Manrique's intervention ended up incorporating a monument promoted by Francoist authorities, whose presence lasted much longer than the disappearance of the regime.
The documentation allows for the establishment of the main milestones: public funding of the work in 1950, its preparation for Franco's visit, the delay of the blessing until 1956, and the controversy over its permanence, rekindled in 2025. It does not, however, prove that the inauguration announced for October 29, 1950, actually took place.
More than seven decades later, the history of the Cruz de los Caídos continues to pose a fundamental question for Arrecife: how to preserve the city's memory without hiding the political context in which some of its monuments were erected.
Documentary sources
• Memoria de Lanzarote: Album of Franco's visit VII. Photograph from the Martinón and Arteta studio, dated October 28, 1950, with a note on the completion and subsequent blessing of the monument.
• La Voz de Lanzarote: "The history of the Francoist cross in Plaza de Las Palmas: erected for Franco's visit to Lanzarote," July 12, 2025.
• Arrecife Municipal Documentation: Minutes of September 14, 1950, cited in historical research on the construction of the monument.
• Historical Archive: Falange newspaper, October 5, 1950 edition, with information on the square's renovation works.
• Government of the Canary Islands: Catalog of Francoist symbols, streets, monuments, and mentions in the Canary Islands, prepared by specialists from the University of La Laguna.
• Legislation: Law 20/2022, of October 19, on Democratic Memory.
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