Benidorm opens definitely the Castell after recovering the remains of the old fortress

Benidorm City Council opens Friday morning at 4:00 p.m. completely the Castell, once the archaeological intervention that has allowed to recover and value the remains of the old fortress. This action, financed with European and municipal funds, has also included the stabilization and consolidation of Punta Canfali on the face of Levante. The mayor, Toni Pérez; the Councilor for Historical Heritage, Ana Pellicer; the Councilor for Works, José Ramón González de Zárate; and members of the Municipal Corporation have visited this enclave today to check the result of the works, as well as the element that already presides over the Replaceta del Castell: a rose of the granite and bronze winds in which the main local landmarks are shown and geographical of each cardinal point, as well as the most unique indigenous fauna specimens that can be found in them. A performance, the latter, which has been executed as an improvement of the project.

The mayor has stressed that this "site is the living history of Benidorm", and has detailed that the excavations have allowed to find traces of the different construction moments of the fortress: late medieval period (fourteenth century, founding moment of Benidorm), mid 16th century and modern era (18th century). Perez has stressed that at the time of finishing this performance "these vestiges have been brought to light and valued" through windows and floors of tradable glass.

Specifically, the remains of the medieval walls of Levante and Poniente have been exposed; the cistern with associated watering hole; an eighteenth-century staircase that allowed access to the upper floor of the castle and the modern wall; and the closing wall, part of the moat and one of the walls of the tower of Levante. In addition, a differentiated run floor has been installed that marks the alignment of the castle structure in modern times (18th century). This pavement is combined with the Portuguese roadway present throughout the Castell and with the granite in checkerboard of the central pergola. A pergola that grows in width with respect to the previous one, and that is complemented with “a shallow and avant-garde furniture that does not break the aesthetics” of the place and in which “meters of enjoyment have been gained”.

The mayor has informed that "the civil work is finished in the absence of small auctions" so that both the Castell and the Replaceta "can be opened tomorrow to the public with all security guarantees." On the pending details, it is pending to install “the lighting”, “the forced mechanical ventilation in the elements of the ground floor so that the moisture condensation disappears”, as well as all the signage that will explain each vestige and the whole of the site.

In this regard, the archeological team has advanced that "the study" of all the remains is being completed in order to be able to capture in the posters "an ideal reconstruction of how the fortress could be in modern times".

During the intervention, work has also been done on the accessibility to Plaça del Castell, and “the staircase that gives access to the Replaceta, which already complies with all regulations, has been adapted”.

Pérez has stressed that this important action “has allowed us to know and recognize the origin of Benidorm and its founding moment; at the same time that “the Replaceta has been recovered, which acquires a new configuration with what remains a space with a spectacular and tourist attraction as few can be found in the Mediterranean”.

Finally, the mayor has announced that “on December 6, for the first time, the full institutional day of Constitution Day will be held at the Castell”.

Project financing

The ‘Project of archaeological intervention and construction of the recovery and enhancement of El Castell de Benidorm’ has meant an investment of 1.2 million euros. Of these, 500,000 euros correspond to a grant from European funds through the aid line for the protection or recovery of the Valencian cultural heritage of the 2014-2020 FEDER Operational Program.

Beyond the archaeological action, the project has made it possible to consolidate Punta Canfali on its slope of Levante, with the installation of 18 meters that ensure the stability of the headland.