The site of the Casas Consistoriales was chosen by the conquistadors as the centre of one of the first settlements on the Canary Islands. Around Plaza de Santa Ana they built not only the Casas Consistoriales but also the Bishop’s Palace (Palacio del Obispo) and Santa Ana Cathedral. Next to Plaza Mayor de Santa Ana we can also find the Palacio Regental, the official residence of the President of the Audiencia Territorial, or regional court.
As well as being the seat of local government, the building is used as an exhibition space for the most important works of art in Gran Canaria. On its walls are 90 paintings by artists such as César Manrique, Juan José Gil, Millares, Cristino de Vera, González Méndez and Jesús Arencibia. One particularly famous picture is the one entitled ‘Immigrants’, by Ventura Álvarez Sala, which was donated by the Prado Museum to Las Palmas City Hall in 1909. This work presides over the main stairway leading into the Casas Consistoriales.
As well as paintings, there are also around twenty sculptures created by artists such as Eduardo Gregorio, Plácido Fleitas, Juan Borges, Josep María Subirachs and Martín Chirino.
If you’re visiting the area in winter, don’t miss the popular Christmas tree just outside the city hall.
You’ll find a Saba car park on Plaza de España, right in the centre, which is open 24 hours a day. It has spaces for disabled persons, mobile phone reception and constant surveillance.
