The Valencian Government has included €200,000 in its 2026 draft budget to help launch the final phase of the cultural complex
The Valencian Government is to provide funding to Pilar de la Horadada Town Council to help advance the final phase of the CAMME cultural complex, a major project that will include the municipality’s future Auditorium and Conservatory.
The Generalitat’s draft budget for 2026 includes a direct grant of €200,000 for Phase II of the Centre for Museums, Music and Performing Arts, known as CAMME. The funding will allow the council to move forward with the drafting of the project for what is expected to become one of the town’s most important cultural and educational facilities.
Mayor José María Pérez Sánchez said he was delighted by the inclusion of the funding in the regional budget, describing it as an important step towards completing a long-awaited project for Pilar de la Horadada.
The grant, which will be channelled through the Regional Ministry of the Presidency, is expected to be the first stage of a wider agreement between the local and regional administrations. The Town Council and the Generalitat are already working on a multi-year agreement that would finance the full investment needed to complete the Auditorium and Conservatory over the coming years.
Phase II of CAMME will be built on the northern plot of the town’s Cultural District, covering an area of 5,030 square metres. The new facility will bring together all musical disciplines in Pilar de la Horadada and will include the classrooms and facilities required for the conservatory’s activity and professional accreditation.
The building will also house the municipal Music School, with its own dedicated spaces, while the Auditorium will have capacity for 600 spectators, as well as a cafeteria and shared public areas.
The Town Council has already completed Phase I of the Cultural District, the Casa de Cultura, and Phase III, the Holy Week Museum, using its own resources. Construction began on 5 August 2022 and was completed on 3 September 2024. The total investment made so far by Pilar de la Horadada Town Council amounts to €8,105,519, including VAT.
Mayor Pérez Sánchez said the regional government’s decision showed “sensitivity” towards the needs of Pilar de la Horadada.
“During the years of the Botànic coalition government, this infrastructure was never considered a priority and no funding was allocated to promote a project that is so necessary for our municipality,” he said.
“By contrast, the current Popular Party government of the Valencian Community has listened to a long-standing demand from the residents of Pilar and has committed itself to making possible an investment that our neighbours have been waiting for with great anticipation.”
The mayor said the inclusion of the project in the regional budget represented “a decisive step” towards delivering one of the most important and most requested infrastructures in the municipality, both culturally and educationally.
“This shows that the commitments made to our municipality are being fulfilled and that there is a clear willingness for institutional collaboration to respond to the needs of our residents,” he added.
Pérez Sánchez also highlighted the symbolic importance of the project as Pilar de la Horadada prepares to mark the 40th anniversary of its separation from Orihuela in 2026.
He said that over the past four decades, the town had financed much of its essential infrastructure from its own resources, making a major investment to respond to population growth and provide quality public services.
“This is a historic moment for Pilar de la Horadada,” the mayor said. “The future Auditorium and Conservatory will become a reality thanks to the commitment of the Generalitat, presided over by Juanfran Pérez Llorca, and the joint work between the local and regional administrations.
“It is an infrastructure that Pilar de la Horadada needs and deserves, and one that will contribute to the cultural, educational and social development of future generations.”
The Casa de Cultura building, which forms part of the wider CAMME complex, has a constructed area of 4,250 square metres and has been operational since 31 July 2025.
Its ground floor includes the Gratiniano Baches Archaeological and Ethnological Museum, the Sánchez Lozano Art Museum, the Temporary Exhibition Hall and the office of Gratiniano Baches. The same floor also includes a study room with capacity for 96 users.
The first floor houses the library storage area, archive, general library consultation area, children’s consultation area, computer room, laboratory and museum library.
The second floor contains museum storage areas, five multipurpose classrooms for training activities, a meeting room and management and administration offices. The museum section of the building is not yet open to the public, with work continuing to improve and complete the visitor experience.
The rooftop, which is equipped and accessible, has also been designed for a range of activities, taking advantage of its orientation and views over the town centre.
The cultural complex will be completed by the Holy Week Museum, located in an adjacent 1,707-square-metre building. That space is also awaiting a museum project, which is expected to be ready in the coming months.
