La Casa del Corregidor was finished in 1545. Jerónimo Álvarez de Sotomayor, chief Magistrate of the island of Tenerife, had it built. It was the home of the chief magistrates while they served on the island, hence its name [Corregidor]. They were the highest representatives of the Crown and were appointed by the monarch and held the position for as long as they thought appropriate. They chaired the “Cabildo de Tenerife” meetings and were the highest military, political and judicial authority.
The building is currently part of the Casas Consistoriales ensemble, along with the Town Council main building, the Alhóndiga, formerly the Dominicas school and the Casa de los Capitanes Generales.
Its interior is completely altered and the only original feature that remains is the doorway, made of red stonework. It is the oldest example of Plateresque art in Canary Islands. It features three coats of arms: that of the above-mentioned Corregidor, Tenerife’s, granted by Juana I of Castile in 1510, and the imperial coat of arms of Carlos V.
