37 Casa Mesa

This house is one of the oldest preserved properties in La Orotava, as it was the residence of the conquistador Diego de Mesa, who was responsible for the urban layout of the town. The house was rebuilt in the seventeenth century, although the Plateresque stonework doorway was retained, the arch lintel of which is still crowned by the Mesa family crest. In the succeeding centuries its various owners have made several alterations, although its original structure around a courtyard with galleries still remains largely unaltered. It originally included the adjoining building (now Casa Torre Hermosa), which gives an idea of the prosperity of the influential families that settled in “la Villa de Abajo” (Lower Town).