The Valley of the Leprosy and the leprosarium

Source www.tripguides.info

The residential village of Abades is located in the south of the Spanish island of Tenerife at 15-minute drive from the Airport-South. From the TF-1 highway, a massive gray crucifix can be seen.

As you get closer, you can see several empty buildings next to it. Time seems to have stopped here.

Only the wind lives in the empty buildings. This is the abandoned leprosarium in Abades. The reason for its appearance is the terrible disease of leprosy, which has been rampant on the island for a long time.

That dreaded word leprosy

The primary cause (causative agent) is the extremely tenacious Mycobacterium leprae. The incubation period can last from 5 to 20 years, which complicates diagnosis. Sometimes a person learns about the terrible disease when it has already progressed to the advanced stage.

The disease affects the peripheral nervous system, the skin, the cornea of the eyes, and the feet. In some cases, there is thinning of earlobes, changes in the shape of the nose and brow arches.

The first leprosariums appeared in the Middle Ages, when the disease became widespread due to active voyages of the Vikings to North Africa. The furs they brought back from the voyages were highly priced, but with them the bacterium M. leprae arrived in Europe.

The fate of the sick was terrible. According to the liturgical rite, they were officially pronounced dead. A special council, which included not only doctors but also priests, certified the illness. A ritual and symbolic funeral was then held, marking the complete isolation of the person. The leper got a hood for life, and with it a huge list of social prohibitions.

In spite of the monstrous cruelty of medieval laws, there was a rational basis in them. The only way to control leprosy was to quarantine the sick for their lifetime. At first, leprosariums were located within the borders of monasteries. No treatment was given there, but the local settlement of patients did block the spread of the infection.

Object of state importance

Leprosy has been endemic on the island since ancient times. The church considered it punishment for sins.

Medicine was powerless, recognizing only bloodletting and stomach cleansing. The bodies of the dead were dumped into the ocean.

In the late 1930s, there were 200 houses for lepers on the island. The little colony bore the sad name Valley of the Lepers.

Since there was a real danger of the infection spreading, at the end of the Civil War the government decided to organize a leprosarium in Tenerife.

Its building began in 1942 in the coastal area. It was a personal initiative of Franco, who was horrified by the unsanitary conditions in Tenerife.

The enormity of the project is evidenced by the generous government investment. 11 million pesetas were invested in the construction of the leprosarium in Tenerife.

The design was entrusted to the architect Jose Enrique Marrero Regalado. A total of 34 structures were built.

The Ministry of Health pursued the goal of separating patients not only by gender, but also by stage of illness. This would make it possible to monitor the condition of patients, to provide them with the assistance they can afford, and, most importantly, to prevent the epidemic from spreading.

The complex includes: a hospital; a temple; living buildings; and a crematorium.

The creators of the leprosarium sought to breathe life into their project, to facilitate the existence of the intended residents of Abades. For them the services of a polyclinic were envisaged, recreational and sports areas were developed.

However, patients were to remain here until they died. The end point of their life's journey was the crematorium. Hope and faith in God remained the patients' main remedy, just as centuries ago.

However, the world medicine did not stand still. The Leprosarium was probably the only object of which the builders could say with relief: "Fortunately, the work has been stopped.

A cure did appear, giving a healing not only to the inhabitants of the island, but also to patients all over the world. Today, leprosy is treated in its early stages with combination drug therapy. In 2017, 193,118 cases of the disease were identified. Most of them belong to developing countries.

The fate of the unfinished building

So, the work stopped in 1946. However, the failed project was not forgotten. The buildings were handed over to the Spanish Infantry Regiment. A training base was created on the coast. The site was ideal for urban warfare.

At the end of the 20th century the zone was demilitarized. But rational use was not found for it. At the beginning of the 2000s, the local municipality tried to ennoble the abandoned site. There was even a project to expand the tourist zone.

In 2002, the island attracted the attention of Alberto Giacomini, an Italian businessman. He bought all the buildings from the Ministry of Defense, becoming the owner of 34 buildings in the coastal zone. The purchase cost the Italian 17 million euros.

Enterprising Italian set a goal to build four luxury hotels for 3000 guests with golf courses, spa complex, shopping center and other attributes of luxury recreation.

However, the golf resort was not implemented due to the release of the government moratorium on any construction of tourist spots.

Apparently, over this place still hover the curses of the martyrs afflicted with the disease of St. Lazarus.

The Island Commission on Historical Heritage and the City Council have not given up hope of restoring the buildings. The experts believe that despite being incomplete, the site has historical value. This must be taken into account when making any changes to the infrastructure in the south and southeast of Tenerife.

The company Playa de Arico SL, controlled by Giacomini, is working in this direction. The Italians do not give up hope to build a tourist complex.

Leprosarium today

The menacing aura of the leprosarium on the mountain above the ocean envelops everyone who arrives in the Valley of the Lepers. There is something mystical and fateful in this secret place in Tenerife. The sound background is formed by the constant whistling of the wind and the roar of the waves, as though reminding you of the human tragedy that the island remembers.

Nature is utterly ascetic. Rare patches of grass on uneven dank soil and few reed trees. The landscape is constantly changing due to the complex topography, which creates the illusion of the presence of some hidden producer, moving the scenery. The atmosphere of inarticulate danger is added to the rocky cliffs.

Fans of tickling the nerves and connoisseurs of history go to the ghost town. It looks creepy, but it is insanely interesting to visit.

It seems funny that all the buildings remained owned by an investor from Italy. However, there are no security guards. Compositionally the central place is the church of St. Lazarus.

The buildings are herringbone. There are traces of neglect in each of them. They are made of rough yellow-gray stone.

The residential buildings have shower compartments, which always impresses tourists, because the project dates back to the 1940s, when such facilities were considered a luxury.

Franco's architectural style is characterized by monumentality and adherence to straight lines and precise proportions.

The buildings are very dilapidated, but they can hardly be called ruins. The frames are all intact, although you can see cracks in some places. The dilapidated roof is crumbling. Rainfall and wind attacks are destructive.

A hidden landmark has been taken advantage of by paintballers. Scary spots of "blood" on the walls are just traces of special paint left by players.

The graffiti artists also made their mark. Their masterpieces of dubious quality can be seen everywhere. You can't find a single wall that isn't covered in graffiti.

It is not recommended to visit this place alone. It is better to take self-guided tours in the company of friends.

The fact is that the settlement is of interest not only to tourists. In the abandoned temple you can see signs of strange religious services. Somewhere lying around are the bodies of small animals used in religious rituals.

This is not surprising. A place with such a dark history is always surrounded by legends and is of some occult interest to sectarians. The locals generously share "horror stories", tales of ghosts and troubled souls of martyrs.

The sense of unreality in this interesting place is intensified when you look down on the cozy town. Quiet peaceful life is just around the corner. Tourists enjoy spending time on the sandy beach and eating in local restaurants. Not far away is the Faro De Abona lighthouse. It does not seem to have anything interesting. But the column with red and white stripes is a UNESCO site.

So if you haven't decided what to see in Tenerife, think of the leprosarium. Selfies against the background of the abandoned buildings are impressive! This is one of the most interesting places to take pictures.