House of Alvarado - Bracamonte or of the Captains General - La Laguna

The house was built by Diego Alvarado – Bracamonte, Captain General of Tenerife from 1624 to 1631, and for centuries was part of the heritage of his descendants, the Marquises of Breña – Mejorada.

In the first decades of the 18th century it was the residence of the Captains General of the Canary Islands . It currently houses the municipal office of the Historical Heritage of the Excmo.

It is an exceptional building which clearly reflects the social status of its former residents and which has not been detracted from by contemporary renovations and extensions, making it one of the clearest examples of domestic architecture from the first half of the 17th century.

The building is also known as the Casa de Los Capitanes Generales (House of the Captains General) because six captains general of the Canary Islands lived there between 1705 and 1723. This gave it a strong historical and institutional significance, which has been retained to this day, as it is home to the highest local representation of the municipality.

From a structural point of view, the exterior of the building is characterized by masonry over stonework. Red volcanic tuff has been used in certain parts of the building, probably from the Obispo de La Laguna quarry. This gives the building its architectural distinction, especially in its placement on the facade, with the most prominent features being the stone facade and corners of the building. The irregular distribution of the openings is an indication of construction in the 16th century. The wide eaves with roof tiles and sgraffito work in the Spanish-Muslim tradition emphasize the special character of the building.

Inside, the space is divided around a large courtyard , which is accessed via the entrance hall and around which the ground and upper floor rooms are located. This courtyard not only provides light, ventilation and privacy, but also divided the spaces typical of homes of the 17th century: rooms, stables, cellars, warehouses, storage rooms, coach houses, etc. Currently they have been restored, with special attention to the restoration of the carpentry, and they are used for municipal purposes.

The Casa de los Capitanes Generales was declared a Property of Cultural Interest on November 11, 1981, in the category of monument of local importance.

willem vandenameele