PALACIO SPINOLA MUSEO DEL TIMPLE

Built between 1730 and 1780, this eighteenth-century house is one of the best preserved in the village and displays a whiteness characteristic of Lanzaroteña architecture. In 1974 it became the property of the Rio Tinto explosives company, which decided to restore it to its former glory. In 1984 it was bought by the Teguise Town Hall and in 1989 it was declared the official residence of the Canary Islands Government in Lanzarote. On this occasion, it will be renovated and remodelled to become in 2011 the headquarters of the Museum of the Timple, a small guitar with 4 or 5 strings, an emblematic folk instrument of the Canary Islands. The interior is composed of vast rooms framing a patio with a well. The furniture is rather heterogeneous, old rustic pieces, style furniture and more recent furniture. The Timple Museum reminds us that the city of Teguise, through its craftsmen, played a fundamental role in the diffusion of this instrument in the other islands of the Canary archipelago. Directed by the "timpanist" Benito Cabrera, it also strives to be a centre for research, conservation and dissemination of the culture that goes with this instrument. To this end, the museum presents a very large collection of timpani, but also other small guitars existing in many countries around the world. The visit will allow you to follow its manufacture and view some presentation videos. It regularly hosts courses, conferences and concerts.