14. San Agustín Church

The corner façade in front of you joins the San Agustín Church, on the left, with the former convent of Nuestra Señora de Gracia, which is currently the San Agustín Culture House. The Augustinians started to build this convent and the adjoining church in the late 17thcentury, on the hill occupied until then by the San Roque Chapel.

The church suffered serious structural damage and was plundered of much of its works of art and altarpieces in the 19th century, after the Spanish Confiscation. A complete restoration was carried out recently that restored part of its original splendour. Look at the great height of the perimeter walls of this temple, which added to its elevated location, make this church visible from almost all of La Orotava. It’s an attempt at religious pomp tied to the typical ideology of the Augustinian order, which enjoyed the support of La Orotava's wealthy families.

A highlight on the facade is its central portal with two bodies, made in stone in a classicist cut. You can see sumptuous ceilings inside.

To the right of the church you can see the former Augustinian convent, which after the Spanish Confiscation was converted into a military barracks, causing irreparable damage to its cloister. In the eighties, it underwent another remodelling to become a House of Culture. The only original element of the building is the three-story millstone façade that culminates in a baroque style bell tower. In the middle level, you can find a typical Canarian window crowned by the Augustinian symbol of a heart pierced by the charity arrow, carved in white marble. On the sides, you can see two other reliefs with references to the Virgin Mary and Saint Augustine.