Twenty years after its founding, the Association of Municipalities of the Medianías of Gran Canaria has reached administrative maturity: that age at which one begins to wonder if one has really done anything with one's life. The mayors of San Bartolomé de Tirajana, San Mateo, Tejeda, Valsequillo, and Santa Brígida are celebrating the organization's anniversary this Monday by presenting a new corporate image in a location that seems precisely chosen for symbolism: the Casa del Vino.
Because, apparently, after two decades of projects, workshops, and promises, the only thing that continues to flow regularly between the neighboring municipalities is precisely that: wine. There is no record of any tender or contract related to the Mancomunidad's new visual identity on the State Contracting Platform. Nor is there any agreement with NGOs or creative companies that might have designed it "for the love of art" (or for the budget). In any case, it wouldn't be the first time that a logo in southern Gran Canaria appeared spontaneously.
Founded in 1995, the Mancomunidad (Commonwealth of Municipalities) was created to develop joint infrastructure projects and coordinate social, cultural, and health programs among municipalities. On paper, it was a brilliant idea. In practice, it became a kind of regional club with solemn statutes and modest results. The economic capital of the Canary Islands has no choice but to join this structure to manage its interests.
Its most recent addition was San Bartolomé de Tirajana, which holds the presidency until January 2026. It applied for entry in 2012 and officially joined in 2013. Since then, the Medianías have encompassed one of Gran Canaria's most curiously diverse areas: from the tourism of Maspalomas to the almond groves of Tejeda, and the wine and cheese festivals of Santa Brígida.
If there's one thing that can be said about the Commonwealth, it's that it hasn't stopped organizing training courses. Since 2004, its catalog has been as diverse as it is unpredictable. Among the most memorable are: 2024 and 2023: Phytosanitary Product Handler (because you never know when something needs to be fumigated); 2017: Sign Language for the Deaf; 2013: San Bartolomé de Tirajana; and 2013: a course on "Disability, ICT, and Employability." In 2011, a course on "active (literal) cooking." But if there's one thing that hasn't been lacking in recent years, it's a training program called "Medianías del Timple."
With such an offering, all that's missing is a course titled "How to Explain the Purpose of the Mancomunidad de Medianías Without Blushing." Despite the announcements, the new logos, and the institutional lunches, no one has managed to precisely define what the Mancomunidad de Medianías actually does for the south of Gran Canaria, the economic capital of the islands. And perhaps that's where its charm lies: in its enigmatic nature, in that blend of administration and island mythology. Ultimately, the Medianías are a bit like the fog that covers the summit in winter: you know it's there, but no one can say for sure exactly where it begins or what it's for.
