In addition to the recovery of the immovable artistic heritage, another of the main objectives of the architectural project is to achieve "an improvement of the environment through urban redevelopment", said José Miguel Esquembre, one of those responsible for the project. The creation of a square at the junction of Madrid and Trinidad streets will connect the new museum with the Chapí Theatre and the historic centre, generating a flow of organised visits. A large sculpture will be located in this open space which, together with the exterior stairs inspired by the bracelets of the Tesoro de Villena, will become the emblem of the museum.
In this first phase, the structure of the Electroharinera building will be consolidated and a room on the ground floor will be fitted out to house the pieces exhibited in the José María Soler Archaeological Museum. The Jerónimo Ferriz ethnographic collection, donated to the Town Hall in 2000, which currently consists of 9,000 objects, will also be on display. According to Laura Hernández, director of the Archaeological Museum, "it is not yet possible to confirm when the inauguration will take place". The works are expected to be completed by the end of the year, but the museumisation and adaptation of the facilities, which will be accessible to anyone with a disability, will be pending, along with the transfer of materials. Hernández also expressed his intention for the new museum to include other expressions of local culture related, for example, to music.
The audience expressed their concern about the risk of not knowing how to take advantage of the potential of this facility, generating false expectations. In this sense, Luis Pablo Martínez, a technician from the Department of Culture, called for "the involvement of citizens in the project", appealing to the fact that heritage has to be something alive that transcends the walls to become a citizen's right. He also alluded to the examples of Puçol and Callosa del Segura as successful community museums.
For his part, José Alberto Cortés, managing director of the MARQ, stressed that a museum has to function as a "meeting point that fits into the social and urban environment". The potential of the new museum in Villena is many due to its uniqueness and capacity for differentiation. However, it is essential to promote synergies with other territorial resources, ensuring that the population considers it as something of its own.
According to Rosario Navalón, professor at the University of Alicante, the museum project can manage to encourage the visit of tourists, diversifying and enhancing the offer. To do this, it is necessary to satisfy the motivations of visitors who want to "experience the territory during their leisure time as an attractive and complete learning experience". For this reason, once it is up and running, the museum complex must have the necessary economic and human resources to guarantee its operation and its consolidation as a cultural tourism product.
The colloquium ended with a few beers in the cafeteria of the Casa de la Cultura. In a few days, the panel discussion will be available on the Economic and Social Forum's Youtube channel for those interested who were unable to attend.
