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Ancient Murcia hilltop chapel to be restored... but workers have to transport the materials using donkeys!
After an 11-year delay, the company must carry out restoration works using only mules or helicopters to protect the heritage site’s natural setting
After more than a decade of delays, Portman Golf, S.A. has been ordered to finally complete long-overdue restoration work at the Ermitas del Monte Miral, but without building any new access roads. Instead, the company will have to transport materials by mule or helicopter, just as it did in 2018.The decision comes following ruling 2797/2023 from the High Court of Justice (TSJ) of Murcia, which found Portman Golf responsible for the “serious and progressive deterioration” of the historic site. The court awarded €123,785.22 in damages and an additional €5,000 in legal costs.
The ruling determined that the company failed to carry out authorised conservation work on the chapels, a responsibility it had held since at least 2014. The court classified this as a “very serious administrative infraction” under Article 75.c of the Region of Murcia’s Cultural Heritage Law (Law 4/2007).
The verdict has been welcomed by the Cartaginense Association, a local heritage group that has campaigned for years to protect the site. “No road will be allowed,” the association said, referencing a recent communication from the regional Directorate General for the Environment. “Materials may only be transported on the backs of animals along existing paths or by air.”
The reason is simple: Cabezo de San Ginés, where the chapels are located, is part of a protected natural area within the Natura 2000 network and classified as a Site of Community Importance (SCI). As such, no new road construction is permitted.
According to the Cartaginense Association, the situation reflects “how little our monumental and natural heritage matters to those who should be its guardians.” A recent drone survey confirmed the deterioration at the site, prompting the group to send complaints to various institutions, including the Ministry of Environment (MITECO), the Spanish Parliament, and even the European Parliament.
The site is protected by two separate cultural heritage decrees. One, dating back to 1992, classified the monastery and chapels as a Monument. A second decree in 2019 extended the protection to include more of the area, officially recognising it as a Historic Site.
Despite this, several official resolutions authorising and even urging conservation work between 2014 and 2019 were never followed through. Only one project – involving conservation work on the chapel known as Los Ángeles – was completed in 2018.
An official from the Directorate General for the Natural Environment testified in court that the work started in 2018 had been abandoned, leaving behind construction materials that damaged the surrounding landscape. The official noted that some of the structures are now in worse condition than before and at risk of collapse.
Still, there is hope that this latest ruling will finally bring action and progress will be made. “Enough is enough,” the Cartaginense Association said. After years of frustration and delays, the focus now shifts to ensuring the restoration is completed properly, without further damage to the area’s cultural or natural heritage.
Photo by Jeevan Mahat/Pexels
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