The conservation and rehabilitation of historical, cultural, and architectural heritage is a fundamental responsibility of public administrations, particularly local councils, which are closest to their communities. Financial support from higher-level administrations helps municipalities fund projects that can prevent the irreversible loss of significant historical, artistic, cultural, and social assets.
In this context, one of the main instruments of the Spanish government for financially supporting local councils in the recovery of historical and cultural heritage is the 2% Cultural Programme. This initiative exemplifies how the responsibility for preserving heritage can be supported financially by the state when it falls directly on municipalities.
The Urban Planning and Environment Department of Seville City Council has recently received confirmation that two proposals for the rehabilitation and conservation of notable examples of Seville's historical heritage—the former Monastery of Santa Clara and the emerging wall adjacent to the Casa de la Moneda—will receive state funds from the aforementioned 2% Cultural Aid Programme. Both proposals were submitted for the 2025 public funding call and have been provisionally approved after being examined and evaluated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda, which oversees these grants.
Rehabilitation of the former kitchens of the Monastery of Santa Clara
The first project focuses on the rehabilitation, restoration, and enhancement of the former kitchens of the Royal Monastery of Santa Clara. This initiative represents the final phase of works needed to complete the recovery of the entire convent, which Seville City Council has been working on since 2002, having already restored over 50% of the site. This phase primarily involves three significant spaces: the former infirmary, the old kitchens, and the garden.
The proposed intervention aims to restore these originally domestic areas, converting them for exhibition use and connecting them with other spaces that have been enhanced in previous phases, both on the ground floor and the first floor through the cloister. This will increase the museum area of the so-called Santa Clara Space, allowing visitors to discover a new route. The estimated cost for these works is €1,869,635.57, with a maximum co-financing percentage from the Ministry of 44.40%, amounting to €860,635.57.
Restoration of the Casa de la Moneda wall
The second project selected for funding is aimed at the restoration of the wall of the Casa de la Moneda. This emerging section of the ancient Almohad wall of Seville is one of the city’s most interesting yet lesser-known archaeological elements. It was part of a strategically important defensive system linked to the protection of the Guadalquivir River front and the connection of the city with the Alcázar and the Torre del Oro.
The wall also preserves remnants of the ancient Islamic fortifications that protected this area of the city, providing insight into the urban evolution of Seville during the Almoravid and Almohad periods. The objective of this intervention is to conserve and restore this section of the wall through structural consolidation where needed and necessary surface treatments, based on conclusions from ongoing preliminary studies. The project also includes the establishment of a pedestrian pathway, ensuring appropriate accessibility conditions.
This restoration is valued at €291,940.48, with a maximum state co-financing percentage of 45%, equating to €131,373.22.
With the allocation of these funds to Seville City Council confirmed, the Urban Planning Department will now draft the Execution Project for both initiatives. Once a favourable report from the Provincial Commission of Historical Heritage of the Junta de Andalucía is obtained, the projects will be resubmitted to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda for the necessary checks before final approval of the grants.
