The city of Orihuela has been awarded 3,067,375.55 euros as part of the resolution from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Agenda's 2% Cultural Programme, aimed at restoring two of its key heritage sites: the Castle of Orihuela and the Santo Domingo College. The funding includes 600,021 euros for archaeological work, consolidation, restoration, and the creation of a visitor route at the Alcazaba and Albacar of the Castle. Additionally, 2,467,354.55 euros will be allocated for the restoration of the roofs, façades, and cloister of the former University at Santo Domingo College, a project submitted by the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante.
In total, these interventions represent a planned investment of 4,354,806.07 euros in Orihuela's historical heritage. Matías Ruiz, the councillor for Historical Heritage, emphasised the significance of securing funding for such substantial projects. “This is very important news for Orihuela as we are talking about more than three million euros dedicated to two fundamental assets of our heritage, the Castle and Santo Domingo,” he stated.
The resolution, signed on 3 November by the General Directorate of Urban Agenda and Architecture, includes the projects that received the highest evaluations in the 2025 call for the 2% Cultural Programme and outlines the maximum funding amounts for each project. The municipal project for the Castle has a total budget of 1,065,000 euros, with the Ministry proposing to finance 600,021 euros, which accounts for 56.34% of the total. The project scored 75.28 points in the evaluation process.
Archaeological research and restoration plans
The main focus of the project presented by the municipality is to conduct archaeological excavations at the Alcazaba and Albacar of the Castle of Orihuela. Based on the findings, subsequent work will involve consolidating, restoring, and enhancing the remains, as well as creating a visitor route. The project has been developed by municipal archaeologist Silvia Yus, who will also oversee the work, and will collaborate with the School of Arab Studies, linked to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), through researcher Pedro Jiménez.
The municipality is also working on formalising an agreement with the School of Arab Studies to involve additional CSIC researchers in the project and to conduct scientific analyses of materials recovered during the excavations. This collaboration will ensure the project has the necessary scientific backing to conduct a methodological archaeological excavation and deepen the historical understanding of the site.
Ruiz highlighted that “we are facing a project that goes beyond mere construction intervention. The aim is to first investigate and accurately understand the existing remains, and from that knowledge, consolidate, preserve, and enhance them with all scientific guarantees.” This initiative will advance the study of the Castle's various historical phases and progressively improve the interpretation of the site, while establishing conditions for future orderly visits to the Alcazaba and Albacar. The Orihuela City Council is also contributing 465,000 euros to this project, demonstrating its commitment to the Castle's restoration.
Significant funding for Santo Domingo
The Ministry's proposal also includes 2,467,354.55 euros for Santo Domingo College, as part of an initiative promoted by the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante, with a total budget of 3,289,806.07 euros. This project aims to restore the roofs, façades, and cloister of the former University of Orihuela and has received a score of 79.66 points in the evaluation process.
Matías Ruiz noted that the inclusion of both projects represents “a significant investment in the city's heritage and will allow us to act on two sites that are essential to Orihuela's history and identity.” He also emphasised the importance of different institutions accessing state funding to ensure the conservation of the city's main heritage assets. “These are two initiatives promoted by different entities, but both share the same destination, Orihuela, and the same goal: to conserve and recover two of our municipality's major monumental references,” he remarked.
Progress on the Castle project
The inclusion of the municipal project for the Castle in this proposal follows the Ministry's notification to the City Council in July that the application had completed the pre-evaluation and documentation verification phases and was progressing. The municipal ownership of the Castle has been registered since 11 March 2020, confirming the City Council's rights over the property.
The Valuation Commission issued its report on 8 October, and the Joint Commission, which met on 16 October, proposed the admission of the highest-scoring applications and the maximum funding amounts. The General Directorate of Urban Agenda and Architecture has now approved the resolution that includes the Castle of Orihuela among the subsidised projects.
Ruiz concluded by acknowledging the groundwork laid in 2017, which led to the Municipal Plenary's approval in 2018 of the Castle and Walls of Orihuela's master plan. “I want to thank the entire drafting team for their immense work back then, which has now resulted in this grant. I also want to remember that the first person to open this possibility for intervention in the Castle was the previous councillor for Historical Heritage, Rafael Almagro Palacios. I appreciate all the people from the Historical Heritage Department who have collaborated and the Territorial Culture Service of the Conselleria de Cultura in Alicante, especially José Antonio López Mira, who has greatly assisted us in presenting all the documentation. Therefore, today is a day of happiness for all Orihuela residents and, above all, for the Historical Heritage of Orihuela, which with this investment will continue to promote the renewal, revitalisation, and regeneration of our historic centre.
