The whole “Al Campesino Lanzaroteño” includes a tribute monument to the peasant Lanzarote, a house museum (Casa-Museo del Campesino) and a restaurant. This set was designed by César Manrique in 1968, with the exception of the restaurant that was built after his death.
The project is located symbolically near the geographic center of the island of Lanzarote, who could be in Mozaga, just north of the monument. The monument is located at the intersection of major routes through the island: the LZ-30 highway, which crosses the island from the northeast (Teguise) southwest (Yaiza), and the LZ-20 highway crosses the island from the southeast (Arrecife) northwest (Tinajo).
The Monument to the Farmer is also at the meeting point of three agricultural regions of different nature: the area El Jable to the north, the area of crops on volcanic sands (enarenado) artificial, south and east, and crops on natural volcanic sands to the west, in the region of La Geria.
The Monument to the Peasant Lanzarote (Monumento al Campesino Lanzaroteño) is a work conceived by the artist, painter, sculptor, architect and environmentalist César Manrique, and realized by one who will be his faithful collaborator for all its monumental works, Jesús Soto. This monument, dating from 1968, is the first work created by Manrique after returning from a four-year stay in the United States, where he was invited by Nelson Rockefeller.
The monument is a tribute to the hard work that the peasants had to provide for decades to create the unique landscape of the island; it was conducted at a turning point in the economy of the island, traditionally oriented agriculture and fisheries, but - in the late 1960s - was oriented towards tourism. The monument would be a reminder for island traditions. The monument is also named Monument to Fertility (Monumento a la Fecundidad).
The work, 15 meters high, was erected on a small natural rock called Rock Tajaste (Peña de Tajaste), complemented by rocks reported. The monument consists of a juxtaposition of old metal containers that served as water tanks on fishing boats; Jesús Soto had to strengthen the structure of steel and concrete to withstand the strong winds of Lanzarote. Everything is painted white. This is a work of surrealist style. With a lot of imagination, one can recognize in the monument representing a peasant with his traditional companions camels and donkeys.
The modernist style of the work is variously appreciated by the islanders who are themselves forced by the authorities of the island - especially under the influence of César Manrique - to respect the architectural forms and traditional materials of the island to their own constructions.
César Manrique always showed a fascination with popular architecture of his native island; in 1974 he published a book, “Lanzarote, arquitectura inedita” (“Lanzarote, an unmatched architecture”), a wide photographic inventory includes the most significant examples of traditional architecture.
The Casa-Museo del Campesino is a kind of archetype of a farm Lanzarote, without being the reproduction of an existing farm. César Manrique has gathered the typical elements of traditional rural housing in different areas of the island: the walls whitewashed to reflect heat from the sun, the green window frames, chimneys, threshing floors, the statements roofs to collect precious rainwater, cisterns, courtyards, joinery, the press, et cetera.
The farm has a semi-circular plan built around a central square, around which are organized the different parts of the farm. In these rooms you can see some of the traditional crafts of the island, illustrating the former rural life in Lanzarote: lace, pottery, weaving, farming utensils and so on.
Summer opening hours of the museum: 10 am to 18: 30 pm.
Winter hours museum: 10 am to 17: 45 pm.
Price: Free admission.
The restaurant Monumento al Campesino
The restaurant is the realization of a project developed by César Manrique before his death in 1992.
The restaurant was built inside an old volcanic stone extraction career.
It is a large circular room located in the basement in which one descends by a magnificent staircase; you can leave the restaurant by a tunnel in basalt stones leading to the center of the house museum. This large room is often used for weddings and other banquets.
The Monument to the Farmer is a few kilometers northwest of the city of San Bartolomé, on the road of Tinajo, near a big roundabout where cross the LZ-20 and LZ-30 roads.
The restaurant serves typical Canarian cuisine and fine wines: papas, queso y gofío (potatoes, cheese and gofío), grouper with cilantro sauce, chicken casserole with potatoes and garlic.
Prices: Main dishes from 7 to 12 €; full meal from 20 € to 25 €.
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Monument. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. House-Museum. Click to enlarge the image.")
Visits
_small.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Click to enlarge the image in Adobe Stock (new tab).")
_small.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Click to enlarge the image in Adobe Stock (new tab).")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
_small.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Cafe Entrance. Click to enlarge the image in Adobe Stock (new tab).")
_small.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Village. Click to enlarge the image in Adobe Stock (new tab).")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Lace. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. loom. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Eat. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Dining restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Restaurant Staircase. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Restaurant Staircase. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Restaurant Staircase. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Restaurant Staircase. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Dining restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Dining restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Dining restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Dining restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Dining restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Water restaurant Thurs. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Volcanic Tunnel restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Volcanic Tunnel restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Volcanic Tunnel restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Outside stairs of the restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Outside stairs of the restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Outside stairs of the restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
Practical information
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Location. Click to enlarge the image.")
.jpg "The Monument to the Peasant (Monumento al Campesino) in Lanzarote. Dining restaurant. Click to enlarge the image.")
Other topics
