Vegueta was the first neighbourhood of Las Palmas when it was founded in the late fifteenth century. It was declared a National Artistic Historic Site in 1973. Many of the principal civic institutions were located here.
At 1 Calle Colón you’ll find Casa de Colón www.casadecolon.com which used to be the governor house and also claims to be the temporary residence of Christopher Columbus before he sailed for the Americas.
Personally I’ve lost count of the number of cities that lay claim to his name (Genoa and Barcelona spring to mind). It’s now a museum about the Castillian conquest of the Canaries as well as Columbus and pre-columbine America. Entrance fee is 4€ for adults and it’s free the first weekend of the month.
Although the rest of the building is quite austere on the outside, the entrance door is stunning.
The characters seems as sharp as when they were first carved. Click on the pics to enlarge.
The rear entrance is also quite ornate.
The carved figures here seem slightly cruder and less sharp but more humourous.
In Plaza Santa Ana you can see the Catedral de Santa Ana. Although there was nothing inside that particularly impressed me, next time I go I’ll pay the 1,50€ to go up to the roof to enjoy the views which are supposed to be very good.
One of the buildings on the southern side of the square has some nice architectural features.
Plaza de Santo Domingo is a nice square with a pretty fountain.
Another building of note is the Teatro Perez Galdos at 1 Plaza Stagno www.teatroperezgaldos.es.
It seems quite austere from the outside but perhaps there’s more to like inside.
Eating in Vegueta next!