San Fernando Cathedral and the Canary Islander founders

San Fernando Cathedral traces its origins to the early 18th century and became the ecclesiastical center for the settlers who established Villa de San Fernando in 1731. The civilian settlement was founded by a group of Canary Islanders (Isleños) led by Juan Leal Goraz, who played a leading role in establishing the town's civil institutions. The cathedral on Main Plaza remains a documented physical link to those founding settlers and their early civic life.