The 1866 conversion of an old oratory into the Teatro Chico

The Teatro Chico in Santa Cruz de La Palma was created in 1866 by the Sociedad Civil “Terpsicore y Melponeme” as a venue for public shows and celebrations. The building is actually an oratory from the old Hospital de Dolores y Concepción, which was founded around 1514. When the hospital moved to the convent of las Monjas Claras in 1837, the oratory was left abandoned and underwent a progressive process of degradation.

By 1866, the city required more cultural spaces to meet growing needs. An agreement by the Town Hall ceded the use of the abandoned oratory to Juan Antonio Pérez and eight other neighbors to create a performance hall. The primary goal of the 1866 project was the total concealment of the oratory's structure so that its sacred character would be impossible to recognize. The design focused on creating a playful space that completely fills the interior of the hall, which was considered more compatible with the building than its religious origins.

The building's organization features a light structure supported by the walls of the original church, which is a typical single-nave Canarian church in Mudéjar style. The spectator hall occupies the old nave, separated from the entrance by a clear phonolite stone arch. In this area, the spectator zones are made of wooden floorings and parapets supported by thin cast-iron pillars resting on a stone foundation.

Above the stage, the proscenium arch is made of a very light wooden structure. It features painted decorations with allegorical themes, including music, theater, and angels, with the shield of Santa Cruz de La Palma at its center. In the 1950s, the building also housed the radio station La Voz de la Isla de la Palma, which required further formal renovations. Today, the building is a protected monument of cultural interest.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons