Cuando la ortodoxia no es lo más relevante: el paisaje de La Gomera y la orientación de sus iglesias

We present a study of the relationship between astronomy and landscape centered on the orientation of Christian churches of the island of La Gomera, located in the Canary Archipelago. The fieldwork consisted of measuring the precise coordinates of 38 churches, which represents almost all of the island's religious constructions, which has an area of approximately 370 km2. For each church, we measured the azimuth and the angular height of the horizon taken in the direction towards which the altar of each temple points. The data obtained were corroborated with digital terrain models frequently used in archaeoastronomical studies. Finally, for the study of the sample, various analyzes were carried out: statistical, calendarical and orographic, trying to find clues that would allow us to understand the pattern of orientations found. From this analysis, we can infer that in some places the canonical tradition of orienting Christian temples in the solar range was respected. Also, it is possible that a few constructions were oriented with imitation patterns of the aborigine cult, especially in solstitial directions. However, we find that the orientation of the majority of the churches is towards the northeast and, in the absence of a better justification, we think that reason should be sought more in the terrestrial landscape than in the celestial one. Judging by the way in which several small groups of temples are distributed, we estimate this unusual pattern of global orientations is motivated by the particular orography of the island. A significant proportion of churches seems to adapt to the characteristics of their sites, orienting themselves according to the numerous geographical features where they are located. These results allow us to conjecture that the known "abrupt nature" of La Gomera is perhaps the main reason for the particular pattern of orientations of its worship sanctuaries.