The works to rehabilitate the Castle of Santa Bárbara have come to an end. The restoration has consisted of the enabling of viewpoints in the fortress for visitors and the installation of a new lighting system. The company in charge of carrying out the project has been Sustratal S.L, specialized in artistic historical monuments.
From the City Council of Teguise they also highlight "the work of channeling and electrical installations, as well as plumbing inside the castle" and add, regarding the lighting system, that "more than 33 light projectors have been installed to give it a spectacular image".
"After an investment of 1.3 million euros, Teguise can approve this conservation project of a castle that occupies a notable space in the history of the Canary Islands and in the very configuration of the city of Teguise, due to its location, in addition to being a permanent sign of identity, visible from almost the entire island of Lanzarote", points out the mayor of the municipality, Oswaldo Betancort.
From the City Council they explain that the current appearance of the castle "dates from some works that were completed in the year 1596, after Captain Gaspar de Salcedo added the two towers that complete the rhomboidal plan of the refuge; and that Leonardo Torriano made an official visit to the site, proposing some improvements". During the 21st century this old fortress was completely abandoned and used as a military dovecote until 1899. In 1991 it became a museum dedicated to the Canarian emigration to Latin America, until the Museum of Piracy was projected, which later closed its doors due to these works.
Now, the City Council states that it will announce "shortly what the future plan will be to boost and enhance the fortress", which will no longer be either the Museum of the Emigrant or the Museum of Piracy. It will be when this new use is defined and announced that a date will be set for its opening to the public.
