The Tenerife- MAIT Spanish-American Craft Museum has its headquarters in La Orotava, in the former San Benito Abad convent, run by the order of the Dominicans, and built in the seventeenth century. It is now run by the Tenerife Island Cabildo (Island local government) after being ceded by La Orotava Town Council..
In the eighteenth century, it became one of the most important convents in the province, due to the beauty of its facilities (the stone arch of the entrance, the cloister, the wooden ceilings and the stone staircase), which house part of the work created by the Canarian architect, sculptor and gilder, Antonio de Orbarán.
With the aim of making the craft reality known in an immediate and tangible way, a great permanent exhibition is created, representative of all Spanish-American handicrafts, both current and disappeared, with a special impact on the Canary Islands. Some of them come from important collections donated by sponsoring agencies, in addition to those acquired by the centre itself, as well as from private donations, boasting such attractive samples as the important collection ‘Folk Art in America and the Philippines’, ‘The Design of Canarian Crafts Regional Awards’, folk musical instruments from Spain and America or Spanish folk pottery.
Services: Guided tours; ‘The Mait Nights’; Crafts Training Courses; Research and Documentation Works; School Campaign: Itineraries and didactic workshops; Traveling Exhibitions, etc.
Theme: Crafts
Hours: Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Price: General: € 2. Free for Tenerife residents. Groups: Make an appointment.