Saramago in the memory of Lanzarote
Photo: Pedro Walter
"It's always good to have another mother and another father and Lanzarote, it is now, another mother and a father to me"
These are words of thanks to the island by José Saramago. They were uttered on December 22, 1997, when the Cabildo de Lanzarote was declared "Adopted Son" of this land, at a ceremony in Los Jameos del Agua.
The writer of Portuguese origin and Nobel Prize for Literature in 1998, decided to settle on the island, which has enjoyed 17 years of his activism and his intelligence.
Between the Trades Winds and ash, Lanzarote served as a place for the reflection and inspiration for many of his works, some so called as "Blindness" and "Cuadernos de Lanzarote" (Lanzarote Diaries).
Sources: "La Voz de Lanzarote"
Closely linked to the Cesar Manrique Foundation, José Saramago has championed over the years flying the same values the artist of Lanzarote, respect for the landscape and the features unique and privileged of the island, and its fight against land degradation.
Despite its critical sense with Lanzarote, José Saramago loved the land that welcomed him and called "my stone raft"
"I wanna be remembered as a good person" even said on one occasion. And that's how Lanzarote will remember him.
Ibid.: Pp. 444
"Somos felices y somos previlegiados por haber compartido con él nuestro tiempo. Se va un héroe del siglo XXI".
Pilar del Río
"Su palabra ha atravesado el mundo gracias a su imaginación y su conciencia crítica, que le ha convertido muy a menudo en la voz de los más débiles".
José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero
"Un ciudadano del mundo, luchador convencido de causas justas y una persona que nunca renunció a llamar a las cosas por su nombre".
Baltazar Garzón
"Elevó el nombre de Lanzarote a primera referencia internacional de la literatura, su mejor embajador, algo que los canarios no podemos nunca dejar de agradecer".
Paulino Rivero, Presidente del Gobierno de Canarias
"Una gran pérdida para el mundo de las letras en todo el mundo pero en concreto, Lanzarote llora el fallecimiento de su Hijo Adoptivo, José Saramago, quien desde la década de los noventa unió su vida y reconocimiento a la Isla, compartiendo no sólo su memoria literaria, sino también su persona".
Pedro San Ginés, Presidente del Cabildo de Lanzarote
"Saramago contaba con un gran valor de sinceridad, propio de un hombre de campo hecho a sí mismo, que ha estado desde siempre comprometido".
Victor García, Director de la Real Academia Española
"Emanaba bondad, algo tan raro en estos tiempos. Tan amigo de sus amigos, tan coherente, tan ético, con tanta humildad, perdemos una de las voces más críticas con las injusticias del mundo".
Isabel Gemio
"Lanzarote pierde uno de los principales referentes humanos de estos últimos años que hizo posible que la Isla figurara también en el mapa mundial de la literatura, las ideas y el pensamiento ilustrado".
José Juan Cruz; Alcalde del Ayto. de Tías
"Deja huérfana a la isla de Lanzarote, por la que tanto luchó. José Saramago siempre ha sido un enamorado de Lanzarote, un excelente embajador de nuestra tierra".
Cándido Reguera, Alcalde del Ayto. de Arrecife
"Lanzarote sin tu voz, muda. Sin tus letras, ciega. Gracias por tus momentos con nosotros".
Anónimo
The Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, is a regular in Lanzarote. When it comes to their vacation ever publicly stressed the peace and quiet offered by the island, besides the beauty of its landscapes and good treatment that the tourist dispensers.
The Princess tells us about her vision of Lanzarote, full of beautiful corners and, by itself, a special corner in the world. A special site for its hospitable people, its unique landscape, dramatic and eye-catching, to visit and to live.
The artist Ildefonso Aguilar tells us his vision of the landscape that he has been representing in his work for so long. A sincere and close vision that surely deserves your consideration in your trip to Lanzarote.
Canarian writer Alberto Vasquez Figueroa, who after living between Morocco and the Sahara in his youth and fifteen years as special envoy in several African and South American countries, has set up residence in Lanzarote, gives us his vision of the island from a personal prespective.
The Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, has confessed during his visit to Lanzarote, the island is one of the most original landscapes he has seen.
The filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar explains the role of "huge landscapes, the dramatic colors," in the filming of his latest film Broken Embraces
Ericsson Racing Team crew explains what has led to Lanzarote as a training base for the boat to prepare ahead of the Volvo Ocean Race.
Jenson Button is the latest British sporting celebrity to appreciate the lure of warm weather training at Club La Santa, following the footsteps of a long line of other well-know sports stars such as Frank Bruno and Linford Christie who have all flocked to Lanzarote.