Jacarilla Council hopes to be able to begin work to stop the deterioration of the Marquis of Fontalba Palace and recover some rooms of the building at the end of this year, opening part the icon building to the public.
The goal is that next summer this unique construction from the beginning of the 20th century can open its doors to the public for events and ceremonies. There are three subsidies pending to be executed throughout 2023, one for 150,000 euro, granted by the local government, and two provided by the Alicante provincial government for 707,000, and 500,000 euro.
The mayor of the town, Andrés Moñino, explains that “we are going to start by rehabilitating the main hall, the access staircase and recovering some rooms on the first floor. With this action, it will be ready to open to the public and host some events.”
“Furthermore, to stop the intense deterioration suffered by the building due to continuous water leaks through the ceilings and walls, “it will be completely waterproofed, and the windows will be sealed to eliminate cracks and humidity that deteriorate the building”, adds Moñino.
The more than 1.3 million that they have to invest in the building is precisely the figure of the Council’s entire annual budget, so “the aid is fundamental, without it we could not do anything because there is no budget,” acknowledges the mayor.
Years ago, a project was carried out for the comprehensive restoration of the building, which amounted to 3 million. “Now, with inflation and the rise in prices of construction materials, the amount would be much higher, so we are going to focus on waterproofing and stopping the deterioration and we will recover it little by little with all the help we get.”
Another action that they hope to carry out with these subsidies already granted is the recovery of the entire façade. The window frames and other ornamental decorations are very deteriorated. The tiles they had have been damaged, fallen or eroded over the years. In order to preserve the original aesthetics of the palace, “we have contacted the factory that made the original tiles, which is in Seville and continues to operate.” A local resident “has provided an extensive photographic report in which practically all the details of the original building can be seen, and which will be used to recreate those decorative pieces and those lost tiles,” says the mayor.
The palace has large gardens that make the complex a unique place in the province. The council is also working to recover them and return them to their splendour. “When we came to government in May, a good part of the gardens were dry. The irrigation pond had broken, and all the water was leaking into the subsoil. We have recovered it thanks to other help and all the lost grass is going to be replanted.” The gardens are visited daily by neighbours and tourists. Its spaciousness allows you to take a long tour and forget the civilization that runs behind its walls. The gardens have been property of the council since 1993. The palace passed into municipal hands years later, in 2007.
It is a jewel that, however, “was a poisoned gift,” says the mayor, due to the “high cost of maintenance and restoration that it entails for a municipality like Jacarilla, with just over 2,000 inhabitants and barely 1.3 million annual budget”. However, “we are going to work to recover one of the most important jewels, not of our municipality, but of the entire region.”
