The Deputationthrough the CV MARQ Foundation, and Alicante City Council presented this morning the project for the design and realisation of the Interpretation Centre of the Torres de la Huerta of Alicantewhich will be located in the Sarrió Tower and is scheduled to open in 2026.
The Deputy for Culture, Juan de Dios Navarroand Alicante's Councillor for Culture, Toño PeralThe proposal, which is aimed at protect and disseminate the valuable wealth of our heritage which encompasses this area, which is key to the economic and social development of Alicante. "With this step, we ratify the Diputación's commitment to our territory, our landscape and our history, and our firm support for any initiative that strengthens our roots and consolidates us as a province."said the deputy, who added that "with with this project we continue to contribute to the knowledge and dissemination of the archaeological heritage of the province, in this case about the exceptional set of fortifications erected for defence and refuge against the Barbary corsairs in the 16th century.".
For his part, Peral emphasised that ".with this initiative, which will become a reality next year, we are extending our cultural offer in a space that in itself has an unquestionable heritage and architectural value thanks to the joint work of the professionals of MARQ and the CV-MARQ Foundation and the municipal Integral Heritage area, which means a guarantee of quality and a guaranteed success.".
MARQ has participated in the design, creation, supervision and management of the contents destined for the future Centre, including the exhibition supports, furniture, panels and audiovisual media, which will contain information on the heritage related to the Torres de la Huerta monumental complex. In addition, as the director of the Museum explained, Manuel Olcina, "an educational guide on the defensive buildings is planned to be published, which will include visiting routes and a book-catalogue with articles, photographs and other illustrations on the historical context and the different works carried out on this heritage site.".
The Sarrió Tower has a exceptional ship's graphite on which the staff of the MARQ Restoration Workshop to ensure its recovery, with the aim of forming part of the explanatory tour of the centre. The complex consists of a 16th century defence tower and an adjoining house in the La Condomina district. The rehabilitation and refurbishment work on the building, with the complete restoration of the tower itself and enhancement of the cistern and the old cellar.were completed in 2021. The building was assigned to the Department of Culture for the development of the "Interpretation Centre of the Torres de la Huerta", a project aimed at promoting the knowledge and enhancement of the whole heritage site declared as a World Heritage Site. Bien de Interés Culturalwith more than twenty defensive watchtowers.
The presentation was also attended by the project's scientific curator, José Manuel Pérez Burgoshead of Integral Heritage of the Alicante City Council, as well as the architect Angel Rocamora. Burgos recalled that "in addition to the heritage value of the constructions, there is their importance in the historical development of Alicante, the wealth of the Alicante huerta was counterbalanced by the incursions of North African corsairs from which the huertanos and the population needed to protect themselves, which formed a network of towers, of which more than 25 are preserved, whose history we want to open for the knowledge of the whole Alicante society and the tourism we receive.".
