Time hasn’t been kind to the old house in Machado, a small village in the municipality of El Rosario.
Collapsed roofs, empty window frames and damaged walls tell the story of decades of neglect. There are even signs that treasure hunters may have dug into parts of the building, searching for the legendary riches often associated with Tenerife’s most famous privateer, Amaro Pargo.
Now, thanks to a volunteer-led heritage project, the historic property is set to be brought back to life, at least in the digital world.
Recreating a lost piece of Tenerife’s history
The house, which has been linked to Amaro Rodríguez Felipe, better known as Amaro Pargo, was declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) in 2003.
Although the building has fallen into disrepair, 3D artist Borja Borges is creating a detailed digital reconstruction that will show how the property looked around 50 years ago.
The project aims to preserve the site’s history and make it accessible to the public through an accurate virtual recreation.
Built from history, not artificial intelligence
Originally from La Orotava, Borges specialises in the digital reconstruction of historic buildings and monuments.
He became involved after seeing the restoration initiative on social media and offering his expertise free of charge.
Creating an authentic model has required months of research, using historic photographs, sketches, architectural drawings and other documents gathered by heritage researchers Ángel Adán Peñalosa and Beatriz García Puertas.
One of the most valuable resources has been a series of detailed sketches produced in 1975 by Bernardo Parrilla, which record the building’s layout, dimensions and construction materials.
Borges has also made it clear that the entire reconstruction is being created manually, without using artificial intelligence.
Instead, every wall, roof, doorway and architectural detail is modelled by hand using historical evidence and professional interpretation.
More than just the house
The digital reconstruction extends beyond the main building.
It will also include nearby features such as a traditional threshing floor and a historic water cistern, helping visitors understand what the property and its surroundings would once have looked like.
Once the modelling is complete, the team plans to produce a fully animated virtual tour, allowing people to explore the house and its landscape in three dimensions.
A community project driven by volunteers
The wider initiative is about much more than creating impressive computer graphics.
Researchers and specialists are also promoting the heritage of Machado through projects such as a 360-degree virtual tour linking the village’s three protected cultural sites: the Amaro Pargo house, the historic chapel and the ancient Camino de Candelaria, a route with more than 500 years of history.
Perhaps most remarkably, the entire project is being carried out without public funding.
Everyone involved is contributing their time and expertise voluntarily, united by a shared goal of preserving an important piece of Tenerife’s cultural heritage.
It’s a reminder that sometimes protecting history doesn’t begin with a government grant. It begins with a handful of people who simply care enough to make sure it isn’t forgotten.