The Alcalá de Guadaíra City Council has begun the restoration works of the Mocha Tower, one of the most emblematic parts of the Castle. The intervention, with a four-month timeline and a budget of €249,000, is part of the Almena II Plan.
The Alcalá de Guadaíra City Council has initiated the restoration of the Mocha Tower and its surroundings, a key action within the Almena II Plan, the strategic document guiding the conservation of the Alcalá Castle until 2030. The works, which started a few weeks ago, have the approval of the Provincial Commission of Historical Heritage of the Junta de Andalucía and will last for four months.
The assigned budget amounts to €249,000, and the awarded company is a firm specialized in the conservation of historical heritage. The aim is to restore the integrity of one of the most representative spaces of the Alcalá fortress, combining structural consolidation with the enhancement of its historical elements.
The delegate for Culture, Heritage and Museums, Christopher Rivas, recently visited the area to supervise the progress of the works. “We must celebrate that we are finally carrying out a restoration and recovery intervention of such a symbolic part of the Alcalá fortress as the Mocha Tower,” he stated.
Planned actions in the Mocha Tower
The works include the structural consolidation of the Mocha Tower and its alcazaba, as well as the restoration of the wall sections, the tower, and the antemuro. The interior spaces of the site will also be adapted, with special attention to recovering the historical reading of the area around the old Santa María Gate, one of the main accesses to the castle during the Middle Ages.
Prior to the drafting of the project, a preventive archaeological intervention was carried out, the results of which have been incorporated into the execution plan. This ensures that all actions are developed with the utmost scientific and heritage rigor, according to municipal sources.
One of the most relevant tasks will be carried out at the top of the Mocha Tower, which currently functions as a viewpoint. There, the roof will be completely renewed, with a new waterproofing system, the formation of slopes, and the installation of a rainwater drainage system. These measures aim to eliminate the leaks that have deteriorated the historical walls and coverings.
Cleaning and consolidation of walls
The action includes a comprehensive cleaning of the site, including walls, inner courtyard, roof, stairs, pavements, and accesses. Vegetation and roots that affect the historical structures and accelerate their deterioration will be removed.
Regarding the historical walls, actions will be taken on the rammed earth, masonry, brick, and stone elements. Incompatible materials from previous interventions will be removed, cracks will be repaired, preserved coverings will be consolidated, and only those points where material loss compromises the stability of the whole will be reconstructed.
The project also includes the renewal of the courtyard pavements and the interior pathways, with new drainage systems to prevent water accumulation. The two existing staircases will be treated differently: the one leading to the viewpoint will maintain its original configuration, renewing the covering of the steps with natural stone; the one connecting to the liza will be reconstructed due to its advanced deterioration and will incorporate a galvanized steel railing with double handrails to improve safety.
Improvement of historical understanding
The intervention will make the historical evolution of the site more comprehensible through a differentiated treatment of pavements and archaeological remains. This will facilitate the identification of the layout of the old wall, the alcazaba, the antemuro, and the Santa María Gate, without resorting to reconstructions of missing elements for which there is insufficient information.
As a final phase, the restored walls will receive fungicidal and water-repellent treatments that will protect the materials against moisture and the proliferation of microorganisms, maintaining the appropriate breathability of the walls.
Christopher Rivas has indicated that, if everything goes as planned, “by the end of the year these works will be completed, and we will be able to visit and learn in detail about this part of the Alcalá de Guadaíra Castle.” He also highlighted that by the end of 2026, the Castle will have taken “a giant leap” with the lighting of the Alcazabas, the completion of the Sanctuary surroundings, the opening of the Castle Interpretation Centre, and the restoration of the Mocha Tower.
The residents of Alcalá de Guadaíra will be able to enjoy this restored space from early 2027, when the works are expected to be completed and the site opened to the public.
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