Telde is a town and a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality ...

in the eastern part of the island of

Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, an archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa which is part of Spain. the island had a population of that co ...

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Mo ...

, overseas (Atlantic) insular Spain. It is the second most populous municipality on the island, with a population of (2013).Instituto Canario de Estadística
, population Its area is . The city is the oldest and the first capital of the island of Gran Canaria, founded before 1351, a former medieval bishopric and present Catholic

titular see A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbis ...

. The city Telde is located 4 km from the coast and 16 km south of the island capital

Las Palmas Las Palmas (, ; ), officially Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, is a Spain, Spanish city and capital of Gran Canaria, in the Canary Islands, on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital (jointly with Santa Cruz de Tenerife), the most populous city in th ...

. The GC-1 motorway passes east of the city. The

Gran Canaria International Airport Gran Canaria Airport , sometimes also known as Gando Airport ( es, Aeropuerto de Gran Canaria), is a passenger and freight airport on the island of Gran Canaria. It is an important airport within the Spanish air-transport network (owned and manag ...

is located in the subdivision of Gando, south of Telde.

History

Before the Spanish invasion Telde was the eastern centre to the aborigines of the island, and the renowned aborigen Doramas is believed to have lived here. Early records point to about 14,000 aborigen dwellings here in Telde at the time of conquest, and Telde is the spot where the famous Idolo de Tara figure—currently housed in the Museo Canario in

—was discovered. It was created by papal decree is 1351. Today Telde is Gran Canaria's second city with a population over 100,000. The historic old town area of Telde is particularly popular with visitors.

Ecclesiastical History

The Diocese of Islas de la Fortuna (español) / Isola de Fortunate (Italiano) / Insulas Fortunatis (Latin) (meaning 'Fortunate islands', the nickname of the Canaries) was established on 7 November 1351. The territory split off from the Balearic

Diocese of Mallorca The Roman Catholic Diocese of Mallorca ( la, Maioricen(sis)) is a diocese located in the city of Palma, Majorca in the Ecclesiastical province of Valencia in Spain. History * 450: Established as Diocese of Majorca * 1237: Restored as Diocese ...

, as

suffragan A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdiction ...

of the (Andalusian) Metropolitan

Archdiocese of Seville The Archdiocese of Seville is part of the Catholic Church in Seville, Spain. The Diocese of Seville was founded in the 3rd century. It was raised to the level of an archdiocese in the 4th century. The current archbishop is José Ángel Saiz Me ...

. Renamed in 1369 after its see as Diocese of Telde (Spanish) / Telden(sis) (Latin adjective). On 7 July 1404 it lost territory to establish the

Diocese of Rubicon The Roman Catholic Diocese of Canarias or Diocese Canariense-Rubicense ( la, Canarien(sis)) is a diocese located in the Canary Islands in the Ecclesiastical province of Seville in Spain. The dioceses includes the islands of Gran Canaria, Fuerte ...

. In 1441 it was suppressed, without direct successor.

Residential Ordinaries

(all

Roman Rite The Roman Rite ( la, Ritus Romanus) is the primary liturgical rite of the Latin Church, the largest of the '' sui iuris'' particular churches that comprise the Catholic Church. It developed in the Latin language in the city of Rome and, while d ...

and members of Latin congregations) ;''Suffragan Bishops of Islas de la Fortuna'' * Bernardo Font,

Carmelite Order , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Ca ...

(O. Carm.) (1351.11.07 – 1354), next Bishop of

Santa Giusta Santa Giusta (; sc, Santa Justa) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Oristano in the Italian region of Sardinia, located about northwest of Cagliari and about southeast of Oristano in the Campidano area. History The site of the ...

(1354–?) * Bartolomé,

Dominican Order The Order of Preachers ( la, Ordo Praedicatorum) abbreviated OP, also known as the Dominicans, is a Catholic mendicant order of Pontifical Right for men founded in Toulouse, France, by the Spanish priest, saint and mystic Dominic of C ...

(O.P.) (1361.03.02 – 1362) ;''Suffragan Bishops of Telde'' * Bonanat Tarí,

Friars Minor The Order of Friars Minor (also called the Franciscans, the Franciscan Order, or the Seraphic Order; postnominal abbreviation OFM) is a mendicant Catholic religious order, founded in 1209 by Francis of Assisi. The order adheres to the te ...

(O.F.M.) (1369.07.02 – 1392) * Jaime Olzina, O.P. (1392.01.31 – 1441)

Titular see

In 1969 the diocese was nominally restored as Latin

Titular bishopric A titular see in various churches is an episcopal see of a former diocese that no longer functions, sometimes called a "dead diocese". The ordinary or hierarch of such a see may be styled a "titular metropolitan" (highest rank), "titular archbis ...

of Telde (Spanish) / Telden(sis) (Latin adjective). It has had the following incumbents, ''none yet of the fitting Episcopal (lowest) rank:'' *'' Titular Archbishop: William Aquin Carew (1969.11.27 – 2012.05.08) as papal diplomat :

Apostolic Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...

(ambassador) to

Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Gr ...

(1969.11.27 – 1974.05.10), Apostolic Nuncio to Rwanda (1969.11.27 – 1974.05.10),

Apostolic Pro-Nuncio An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...

Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ...

(1974.05.10 – 1983.08.30),

Apostolic Delegate An apostolic nuncio ( la, nuntius apostolicus; also known as a papal nuncio or simply as a nuncio) is an ecclesiastical diplomat, serving as an envoy or a permanent diplomatic representative of the Holy See to a state or to an international org ...

to Jerusalem and Palestine (1974.05.10 – 1983.08.30), Apostolic Pro-Nuncio to Japan (1983.08.30 – retired 1997.11.11); died 2012'' *''Titular Archbishop Giampiero Gloder (2013.09.21 – ...), President of Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy, Vice-Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church of

Apostolic Camera The Apostolic Camera ( la, Camera Apostolica), formerly known as the was an office in the Roman Curia. It was the central board of finance in the papal administrative system and at one time was of great importance in the government of the Sta ...

; previously Head of

Office for special affairs of Secretariat of State An office is a space where an organization's employees perform administrative work in order to support and realize objects and goals of the organization. The word "office" may also denote a position within an organization with specific du ...

(2005 – 2013.09.21).''

Economy

In the past, Telde was an agricultural community, the main crops being sugar canes, vineyards, bananas and tomatoes. Today the surrounding area of Telde is quite heavily industrialised, becoming the industrial centre on the island. Two airlines are headquartered at

Gran Canaria Airport Gran Canaria Airport , sometimes also known as Gando Airport ( es, Aeropuerto de Gran Canaria), is a passenger and freight airport on the island of Gran Canaria. It is an important airport within the Spanish air-transport network (owned and manag ...

Binter Canarias Binter Canarias S.A. is the flag carrier of the Spanish autonomous community of the Canary Islands, based on the grounds of Gran Canaria Airport in Telde, Gran Canaria and Tenerife North Airport, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Spain. It is a reg ...

and Canaryfly.

Main sights

The church San Juan Bautista (John the Baptist) de Telde is the true spiritual centre of Telde. Located in the square of the same name and founded in 1483, the old church was erected by the Garcia del Castillo family at the time of the town's foundation. It still has the original gateway, an example of

Sevillian Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Penins ...

- Portuguese Gothic architecture. The towers, however, are an example of early 20th neo-Gothic construction. The real marvels are inside the building: the statue of Christ on the main altar, made from corn dough by the

Purépecha The Purépecha (endonym pua, P'urhepecha ) are a group of indigenous people centered in the northwestern region of Michoacán, Mexico, mainly in the area of the cities of Cherán and Pátzcuaro. They are also known by the pejorative " Tarascan ...

Mexican Mexican may refer to: Mexico and its culture *Being related to, from, or connected to the country of Mexico, in North America ** People *** Mexicans, inhabitants of the country Mexico and their descendants *** Mexica, ancient indigenous people ...

Indians, brought here before 1550, the

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium ...

Gothic main altar, which dates back to before 1516, and the triptych of the

Virgin Mary Mary; arc, ܡܪܝܡ, translit=Mariam; ar, مريم, translit=Maryam; grc, Μαρία, translit=María; la, Maria; cop, Ⲙⲁⲣⲓⲁ, translit=Maria was a first-century Jews, Jewish woman of Nazareth, the wife of Saint Joseph, Jose ...

, brought from

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

, also in the 16th century, depicting five religious scenes. Telde has 101 archaeological sites and 709 listed sites of ethnographic interest. The number of sites increases each year, as do new aspects of old fields, but most are in disrepair and many are disappearing. Some of the most prominent are the coastal town of Tufia, in good condition and extensively excavated by archaeologists;

Four Doors Four Doors is the concept in ''tasawwuf,'' and to a lesser extent in other branches of Islam such as Ismailism and Alevism. In this system, there are four paths to Allah, starting with Sharia, then to Tariqa, then to Marifa, and then finally ...

(''Cuatro Puertas''), a large cave with four doors located on top of a mountain overlooking the plain adjoined to a village of

cave house Underground living refers to living below the ground's surface, whether in natural or manmade caves or structures. Underground dwellings are an alternative to above-ground dwellings for some home seekers, including those who are looking to min ...

s with collective barn at the back; the caves of Tara and Cendro, remains of the ancient centre of population; the town of Draguillo on the border with Ingenio; ''las cuevas Chalasia'' which consist of a labyrinthine series of artificial caves linked by tunnels; and the impressive

necropolis A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead". The term usually im ...

of Jinámar which includes more than 500 tombs of various types.

Climate

Telde has a moderate

desert climate The desert climate or arid climate (in the Köppen climate classification ''BWh'' and ''BWk''), is a dry climate sub-type in which there is a severe excess of evaporation over precipitation. The typically bald, rocky, or sandy surfaces in desert ...

Education

Lycée Français René-Verneau The Lycée Français René-Verneau de Gran Canaria ( es, Liceo Francés de Gran Canaria) is a French international school in Telde, Gran Canaria, Spain. It was established in 1974 and has integrated the Mission laïque française (Mlf) in 198 ...

, the French international school of Gran Canaria, is located in Telde.Nous contacter
"
Contacto
." ''

''. Retrieved on 8 April 2015. "LYCÉE FRANÇAIS RENÉ-VERNEAU de GRAN CANARIA Crta. de Taliarte s/n 35214, Telde (Espagne)"

Sister cities

San Cristóbal de La Laguna San Cristóbal de La Laguna (commonly known as La Laguna, ) is a city and municipality in the northern part of the island of Tenerife in the Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, on the Canary Islands, Spain. The city is the third-most populous ...

, Spain *

Gáldar Gáldar is a town and a Spanish municipality in the north of the island of Gran Canaria in the Province of Las Palmas in the Canary Islands. Its population is (2013),España , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

Moguer Moguer is a municipality and small city located in the province of Huelva, Andalusia, Spain. According to the 2022 census, it has a population of 22,623. Its surface area is , and its population density is . The present site of Moguer had been ho ...

España , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

, birthplace of Telde's founder,

Cristóbal García del Castillo Cristóbal or Cristobal, the Spanish version of Christopher, is a masculine given name and a surname which may refer to: Given name * Cristóbal Balenciaga (1895–1972), Spanish fashion designer * Cristóbal Cobo (born 1976), Chilean academic * ...

Chongqing Chongqing ( or ; ; Sichuanese pronunciation: , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ), alternately romanized as Chungking (), is a municipality in Southwest China. The official abbreviation of the city, "" (), was approved by the State Cou ...

, China, birth city of Sanmao, writer who lived in the island

Notable locals

Roque Mesa Roque Mesa Quevedo (; born 7 June 1989) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Real Valladolid. Club career Early career Born in Telde, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, Mesa joined Levante UD's youth system in 2005 ...

(born 1989), footballer

Gallery

File:Telde 2016 11.jpg, File:Telde 2016 01.jpg, File:Telde 2016 02.jpg, File:Telde 2016 12.jpg, File:Telde 2016 03.jpg, File:Telde 2016 06.jpg,

References

Sources and external links

GCatholic with Google satellite photo
{{Authority control Populated places established in the 1350s 1351 establishments 14th-century establishments in Spain Municipalities in Gran Canaria Catholic titular sees in Europe