Cave of Chinguaro
| Cave-Shrine of Chinguaro | |
|---|---|
| Province | Archdiocese of Seville |
| Rite | Roman |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Shrine |
| Location | |
| Location | Güímar, Spain. |
| Architecture | |
| Type | church |
Cave-Shrine of Chinguaro is a
Menceyato de Güímar
. After the Spanish conquest, they venerated the cave as a site of the Virgin Mary, and later built a church shrine there.
In this cave, the ancient Guanche venerated the goddess Chaxiraxi of their traditional faith, related to the Berbers of North Africa.
After the
shrine devoted to the Virgin of Candelaria. It was the first Guanche shrine to contain a Christian
idol in the Canary Islands, but most of the natives adhered to their traditional religion.
The cave has been found to be a site of archaeological importance. Layers of ash have been
carbon-dated
and found to be more than 3,000 years old, showing long indigenous occupancy.