César Manrique remembered on the anniversary of his death

Today is the 34^th anniversary of the death of César Manrique, the man who transformed Lanzarote.

On the 25^th September, 1992, Manrique left the Foundation in Tahiche that bears his name to drive his Jaguar back to his home in Haría. However, his car was hit by a Toyota at the crossroads near the foundation and he died shortly afterwards in hospital. He was 73 years old.

The crossroads where he died is now a roundabout, overlooked by the whirling silver spheres of perhaps the most beautiful of his wind sculptures. But the mark of César is everywhere on the island.

After returning to his native island in the 1960s, he embarked on a lifetime project to create the seven Centres of Arts, Culture and Tourism on Lanzarote. The results, which include the Timanfaya Fire Mountains, Jameos del Agua, the Cueva de los Verde, the Mirador del Rio and the Cactus Garden, remain Lanzarote’s most popular tourist destinations.

To understand the man, however, visits to his two homes are highly recommended. The visionary dwelling in Tahiche, created in volcanic caves and bubbles, contains a huge amount of information on the man and his life.

In the Casa- Museo in Haría, meanwhile, you can see how Manrique lived and worked. In his studio there a display shows his diary, in which several days simply contain the word “trabajar” (work). Hugely creative until the day he died, Manrique’s legacy lives on in almost every aspect of Lanzarote life.