The Provincial Council of Alicante and the Beniarrés Town Council have completed the process of adaptation of the Cova de L'Or archaeological site that, for the first timewill open to the public for your visit. This project, the fruit of the collaboration agreement between the two administrations, it will allow visitors to see one of the most important most important Neolithic sites in the province.
The President of the Diputación de Alicante, Carlos MazónThe first vice-president and deputy for culture, Julia Parraand the local mayor, Miguel Ángel SanchísThis morning, they announced the actions carried out to materialise the proposal, which has included the renovation of the Interpretation Centre of La Cova de L'Or and of the site, turned into a site museum.
The event, which was also attended by the Deputy for Architecture, Juan Francisco Pérez Llorcathe deputy for the county, Javier SendraThe Socialist Group's spokesman in the Provincial Council, Toni Francésas well as the managing director of the MARQ CV Foundation, José Alberto Cortésits exhibition director, Jorge Solerand the director of the Architecture Department, Rafael PérezThe event began with the president's signature in the council's book of honour.
Subsequently, the authorities visited the Interpretation Centrewhere the following can be observed replicas and original objects found during the different excavations carried out in the archaeological site.
The proposal aims to revalorise the Cova, with the development of the site museum and the research, protection and opening of the 6th millennium BC sanctuary.
Both Mazón and Parra emphasised the importance of having this new museum space, and at the same time they thanked the work of the technical, scientific and administrative teams of the MARQ and the City Council that for seven years "have been taking the necessary steps to make the Cova de l'Or a cultural and tourist attraction".
In this sense, the president commented that he is "very proud of our history, of how we have worked together with the Town Council and the Provincial Council in this strategic commitment to the future of the promotion and the tourist and economic improvement of the area, which we are going to continue to promote".
Mazón specified that this enclave is a "historical reference of the Neolithic in Spain and must serve us to learn from the capacity of evolution and adaptation of our resources and to position Beniarrés from the technical and national research point of view". Finally, the provincial leader reiterated that this joint effort "to learn about our history, encourage our tourism and promote our interior, we are not only doing it to revalue our landscapes, but also our gastronomy, our municipalities, our people and incentives such as our own archaeological history".
On the other hand, Julia Parra stressed the importance of making available to the public "renovated facilities, of great cultural value, which will also serve as a tourist stimulus for the municipality of Beniarrés and its region". The vice-president also thanked Rafael Pérez, Jorge Soler and their respective technical teams for their work in the enclave, declared an Asset of Cultural Interest, "in which we have carried out an important intervention to reopen the Interpretation Centre, with important improvements and new technologies".
Finally, the deputy for Culture announced that to inaugurate this performance, there will be two open days this weekend (Saturday and Sunday) and two other next weekend for free access to all facilities.
The aim of this joint action has been to highlight the importance of the archaeological site in the Benicadell mountain range, essential for knowledge of the Neolithic on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula. This educational and scenic route, which includes the Cave of L'Or and the Site Interpretation CentreThe Provincial Council's Department of Architecture has been involved in the project, which began in 2016.
The evocation of the sanctuary inspired the adaptation project to recovering the mouth of the cavityThe interior has been cleaned and human-scale figures have been placed under the entrance oculus. In addition, the set up outside for visitors and access has been improved with a footbridge which allows you to tour the cave. Also the environment has been restored and access roads and paths have been improved.. These works, as well as the dissemination, promotion and conservation of the action, have required a investment of close to 200,000 euros.
Various archaeological excavations have also been carried out in the area, the most fruitful campaigns of which were directed in the 1950s by Vicente Pascual Pérez and in the 1970s and 1980s by Bernat Martí Oliveraffecting areas close to the entrance. In the 21st century, the MARQ proposed several interventions in relation to the project to enhance and open up the cave, which have led to a better understanding of the mouth of the cave and its surroundings.
The material elements found there bear witness to the importance of the occupation in the Ancient Neolithic (5500-5000 BC), when the cave was a suitable place for habitation. The discovery of an important ceramic repertoire symbolic marks it as a special place, a sanctuary where ceremonies and rites may have been performed.
Visiting hours of the Cova de L'Or
The MARQ Foundation and the Beniarrés Town Council have agreed on the creation of a Joint Monitoring Committee which will set the tone for the management and visits to both cultural resources.
This weekend, when it will be possible to visit the cave for the first time, and also during the following weekend, a series of events have been organised. Open Days with free admission. And from then on the visiting system will be established. by prior arrangement with a minimum group of 5 persons and a maximum of 15. per pass.
Tours have been arranged on Saturdays during the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and 17:00 a 20:00 hours and on Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.. The meeting point will be located in the Interpretation Centre of the Cova de L'Or and will be attended by the following participants three accompanying guides to serve the public.
The visits, which will include a interpretative tour which will highlight the environmental and landscape values of the area, can be arranged by telephone on 965 14 90 00 or by e-mail to [email protected]
