A Visit to the Museo Canario in Gran Canaria

If you are interested in learning more about the history and culture of the Canary Islands, especially the ancient inhabitants of Gran Canaria, you should not miss the opportunity to visit the Museo Canario. This museum, located in the historic district of Vegueta, houses the largest collection of pre-Hispanic artifacts in the archipelago, as well as a rich library and archive of documents related to the Canarian heritage.

The Origins Of The Museum

The Museo Canario was founded in 1879 by a group of local intellectuals and scholars, led by Dr. Gregorio Chil y Naranjo and Agustín Millares Torres, a historian and notary. They wanted to create a scientific and cultural society that would preserve and study the remains of the aboriginal population of Gran Canaria, who had arrived from North Africa between the first and fourth centuries CE and had developed a unique culture until the Spanish conquest in the 15th century.

The museum was initially housed in a small building near the cathedral of Santa Ana, but soon it became too small to accommodate the growing collections and activities of the society. In 1880, the museum moved to its current location, a former convent of San Francisco that had been abandoned after the confiscation of ecclesiastical properties in 1836. The building was renovated and expanded over the years, adding new rooms and facilities to display the exhibits and host events.

The Collections And Exhibitions

The main attraction of the Museo Canario is its permanent exhibition on the pre-Hispanic population of Gran Canaria, which covers various aspects of their life, such as their economy, society, religion, art, technology and medicine. The exhibition is divided into several sections, each one focusing on a different topic and displaying relevant objects and information.

Some of the highlights of the exhibition are:

• The ceramic vessels, which show a great variety of shapes, sizes and decorations. Some of them have geometric patterns, others have animal or human figures, and others have inscriptions in an undeciphered script.
• The terracotta figurines, traditionally considered as idols or representations of deities or ancestors. One of the most famous ones is the Idol of Tara, a female figure with elaborate ornaments and tattoos.
• The pintaderas, small clay stamps that were used to imprint designs on textiles or skin. They have more than 200 different motifs, some of them similar to those found in other cultures of Africa or America.
• The mummies and skulls, which show the practices of embalming and cranial deformation that some groups performed on their dead. The museum has more than 900 human remains, some of them dating back to more than 2000 years ago.
• The tools and weapons, which demonstrate the skills and ingenuity of the aborigines in using natural resources such as stone, wood, bone or shell. They made axes, knives, spears, bows, arrows, needles, hooks and other instruments for various purposes.
• The models and reconstructions, which illustrate how the aborigines lived in their settlements, caves or forts. They also show how they dressed, adorned themselves and performed rituals.

Besides the permanent exhibition, the museum also organizes temporary exhibitions on different topics related to the Canarian history and culture. Some examples are:

• The Canary Islands in Ancient Maps: A selection of maps from different periods and origins that show how the islands were perceived and represented by cartographers.
• The Guanches: Myth and Reality: An analysis of how the image and identity of the aboriginal population has been constructed and transformed over time by different sources and discourses.
• The Atlantic Routes: A study of how the Canary Islands have been connected to other regions and continents through maritime trade and migration.

The Library And Archive

The Museo Canario also has an important center of documentation that consists of a library, a newspaper library and an archive. These contain more than 60,000 books, 15,000 periodicals and 80,000 documents related to various fields of knowledge such as history, anthropology, archaeology, linguistics, art or literature.

The library and archive are open to researchers and students who want to consult or borrow materials for their studies or projects. They also offer services such as bibliographic searches, document reproduction or interlibrary loans.

Practical Information

If you want to visit the Museo Canario, here are some useful details:

• Address: Doctor Verneau Street 2
• Phone: +34 928 336 800
• Email: info@elmuseocanario.com
• Website: https://www.elmuseocanario.com
• Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 20:00, Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 10:00 to 14:00
• Admission fees: General 5€, Students, unemployed, large families, pensioners 3€, Children under 12 and members free
• Accessibility: The museum is accessible for people with reduced mobility and has a lift and adapted toilets. There are also audio guides and tactile panels for people with visual or hearing impairments.
• Parking: The nearest parking lots are Parking Mercado de Vegueta and Parking Vegueta.

The Museo Canario is a must-see for anyone who wants to discover the fascinating history and culture of the Canary Islands. Don’t miss the chance to visit this museum and learn more about the ancient inhabitants of Gran Canaria and their legacy.