House of the Capitanes Generales

It is an exceptional building from which the social category of its former inhabitants can be inferred, and which contemporary reforms and extensions have not detracted from, making it one of the clearest examples of the domestic architecture of the first half of the 17th century.
The house, also known as the Alvarado-Bracamonte, was built by the Governor, Corregidor and War Captain of the Islands of La Palma and Tenerife, Diego de Alvarado-Bracamonte, who settled and lived in San Cristóbal de La Laguna between 1624 and 1635. His lineage, reinforced by the economic solvency and political power, will rise until having noble titles as Marquises of La Breña and the Mejorada del Campo.
The building is also known as the House of the Captains General because six Captains General of the Canary Islands lived there between 1705 and 1723. This will give it a strong historical and institutional charge, which has remained until today, because the maximum local representation of the municipality is located there.
From the construction point of view, the exterior of the building is characterised by the work of masonry on stonework. The stone, of red volcanic tufa, and probably from the quarry of the Bishop of La Laguna, is used in certain parts of the building. This will give architectural distinction, especially for its placement on the facade, the most distinctive being its stone cover and the corners of the building. The irregular distribution of the holes is an indicator of its construction in the six hundred. The ample tile eaves and the sgraffito of Hispanic-Muslim tradition underline the distinction of the building.
With regard to its interior, the space is distributed over a large courtyard, which is accessed via the entrance hall, and around which the rooms on the ground and upper floors are distributed. In addition to providing light, ventilation and privacy, it distributed the rooms typical of the seventeenth-century dwelling: rooms, stables, cellars, deposits, garages, etc. Currently restored, with special dedication to the recovery of the woodwork, they are used for municipal purposes.
The Casa de los Capitanes Generales was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, with the category of monument of local interest, on 11 November 1981