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It
is worth taking a stroll through the
historic centre of Firgas in order to
see the cultural and religious sites
of the municipality. Recommended
visits include the Parish Church of
San Roque (closed temporarily by
works of conditioning), built in 1502
on the ruins of what was the first
chapel of San Juan Ortega, next to a
Dominican convent which is no longer
in existence.
Of
the first chapel there remain the main
door and the panelling of the central
nave, where the crucifix is, as well
as an important work of religious
statuary.
The
square Plaza de San Roque,
where the church is, contains a
monument to one of the most venerated
saints of Firgas, San Juan de Ortega,
the most important patron saint of the
town. From this square you can see one
of the most beautiful views of the
North of Gran Canaria, and on a clear
day the islands of Tenerife and
Fuerteventura can be seen.
The Casa
de la Cultura is probably the most
emblematic building of the
municipality. It was formerly a hotel
and inn providing accommodation for
visitors to the baths of Azuaje. The
building later housed the Town Hall,
and these days it houses the Public
Library, Exhibition Room and Events
Hall.
The
building of the Firgas Town Hall
is a large house in the neo-Canarian
style, built in the 1940s. The
building materials include the blue
stone from the famous quarries of the
lower area of the municipality and
Canary Islands pine wood in the
construction of its magnificent
balconies.
Near
the Plaza de San Roque is the Memorial
Fountain, built with quarry stone,
which commemorates the 500 years since
the Founding of Firgas. It has several
water displays and lights, and also
provides background music.
The Paseo
de Gran Canaria and the Paseo
de Canaria are located right in
the town centre in what was formerly
known as the calle Real del Centro.
These are pedestrian areas with a
natural slope which has been used to
build a beautiful 30 metre waterfall
using quarry stone, finished off by an
impressive monument of a fountain
representing the traditional richness
of the water resources. On one side of
the Paseo there are the 22 heraldic
shields of all the municipalities of
Gran Canaria, including the shield of
the island. The Paseo de Canaria also
has representations of the 7 Canary
Islands carved into the ground, with
their respective heraldic shields and
a landscape typical of each island.
The Molino
del Conde, a sixteenth century
gofio mill, is located on the side of
the road leading from Firgas to
Valleseco. The building, which also
includes an old grain roasting oven
and storehouse as well as the miller’s
house, is located on the site of an
irrigation channel known as the
Acequia de la Heredad de Aguas de
Arucas y Firgas, in order to use the
action of the water to move the stones
of the grain crushers.
The
mill has opened its doors once again
after being closed for over 40 years,
and the miller grinds gofio and offers
it to visitors to try. There is also a
craft shop in the mill.
It
is possible to visit the Doramas
Natural Park in Firgas, with its
ravines of great beauty with lush
vegetation and an abundance of small
streams distributing water over the
region.
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