The “San Marcos Evangelista” –Saint Mark the Evangelist hermitage was built in the late 1600’s, funding was provided by a public collection among the local residents.
The main façade, made in masonry, has an inscription stating that it was built in 1699.
The hermitage was originally part of the Tuineje parish until 1925 when Tiscamanita had its own. In 1985 it fell again under the jurisdiction of the Tuineje parish.
What we see now is a single nave construction covered with a three-sided sloped roof with tiles. Two belfries made in white stone are situated on top of the main façade. The vestry is attached to one of the hermitage’s sides.
All the building is surrounded by a barbican, a recurrent feature in the religious buildings in Fuerteventura, probably built for protection against the many pirate raids the island suffered in the 1500 and 1600’s.
Inside the hermitage the following sacred art pieces can be found:
• Three silver chalices, one of which has a lid forming the base of a representation of Jesus Christ in the Cross, from the XVIII C.
• Wooden sculptures from the XIX and XX c. representing: Jesus Christ on the Cross, Jesus Christ with a white robe, Saint Mark, Saint Roque with his dog (XVIII c.), Saint John the Baptist (XVIII c.).
• The main Altarpiece, made in polychromatic wood, which was later covered by a golden paint. The main body is divided in three stripes with their corresponding vaulted niches.
• A polychrome wooden Altarpiece devoted to Santo Domingo.
• An Altarpiece devoted to “Santo Domingo”, made in polychromatic wood. It has two bodies divided into three sections by several “estípites” (a type of column developed in Spanish America in the early 18th century, distinguished by its tapering inverted pyramid shape). The main body has a niche in its central section and in the second body has Santo Domingo’s coat of arms.
• A baptismal font made in light coloured stone

Tiscamanita is one of the oldest settlements in Fuerteventura. It developed around the Betancuria Massif with many farmhouses scattered around its fertile fields. In the XVIII c., with the introduction of the cochinilla (cochineal: a parasite that is transformed into carmine), Tiscamanita started to expand and the original settlement was transformed into a village with urban style buildings.
Nowadays, the San Marcos Evangelista hermitage is surrounded by paved roads, wide enough to appreciate the monument.
Dinamatik Web Studio. Copyright 2006