The Government of the Canary Islands has granted the category of Asset of Cultural Interest to Los Aljibes de Tahíche. The historical complex restored by César Manrique in 1976 thus acquires the category of Monument reflected in the publication of December 27 of the Official Gazette of the Canary Islands, after the Cabildo of Lanzarote initiated proceedings in favor of the property in June 2003.
The General Directorate of Historical Heritage of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports of the Government of the Canary Islands has granted this past December 27 the category of Monument as Asset of Cultural Interest to Los Aljibes de Tahíche, publishing the relevant order in the BOC this past January 3.
The space, privately owned, was rented by the Cabildo for two years but then suffered some abandonment until the owners contacted Antonio Ramírez and Mercedes Doblado, directors of the Punto de Encuentro con el Arte Gallery in the Charco de San Ginés, who now also run the current multidisciplinary cultural center that Los Aljibes has become.
The Cabildo has committed to protecting the monument with special measures, which was one of the first architectural works of César Manrique.
Precisely the president of the island's Cabildo, Inés Rojas de León, and the Minister of Tourism of the Government of the Canary Islands, Manuel Fajardo Feo, participated on December 12 in the [inauguration of the Los Aljibes de Tahíche Cultural Center->http://www.lavozdelanzarote.com/article.php3?id_article=4225&var_recherche=Los+Aljibes].
In the words of Antonio Ramírez himself, "this appointment should have been made a long time ago to what is one of the first architectural works of César Manrique. It is a support and recognition of his work".
Ramírez recalled that, unfortunately, the space has been very neglected, but he hoped that "from now on it will have the support of the Cabildo so that this space is preserved with greater security measures".
The most universal artist from Lanzarote rehabilitated two cisterns and created a new surrounding space in 1976. The project consisted of recovering and restoring two nearby water tanks, excavating the land that separated them, from which a central square depressed below ground level emerged. The final result resembles a semicircular amphitheater flanked by landscaped terraces built with dry stone.
What has remained as one of Manrique's best contributions was declared on May 12, 1998, an Asset of Cultural Interest by the Cabildo of Lanzarote, a concession that is now also extended by the Government of the Canary Islands.