The restoration works of the Mocha Tower, one of the most emblematic spaces of Alcalá de Guadaíra Castle, are already underway. The project, with a budget of €249,000, aims to recover the integrity of the fortress.
The Alcalá de Guadaíra City Council has initiated the restoration works of the Mocha Tower, one of the most representative rooms of the local castle. The work, which began a few weeks ago, is part of the Almena II Plan (2019-2030), the strategic document that coordinates the conservation and enhancement of the Alcalá fortress.
The delegate for Culture, Heritage and Museums, Christopher Rivas, recently visited the area around the Mocha Tower to check on the progress of the works. As he explained, the intervention has a four-month execution period and a budget of €249,000, funded by a company specialised in the conservation of historical heritage.
“We must celebrate that we are finally carrying out another restoration and recovery intervention of such a symbolic part of the Alcalá fortress as the Mocha Tower,” Rivas stated during the visit.
The project includes 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. One of the most relevant actions will be the recovery of the historical reading of the area around the old Santa María Gate, one of the main access points to the fortified site 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 project, authorised by the Provincial Heritage Commission of the Junta de Andalucía. This ensures that all actions are carried out with the utmost scientific and heritage rigor.
The intervention includes a complete cleaning of the site, including walls, interior courtyard, roof, stairs, pavements, and access points. Vegetation and roots that currently affect the historical structures and accelerate their deterioration will be removed. One of the main focuses is the restoration and consolidation of the historic walls, working on elements of rammed earth, masonry, brick, and stone.
To this end, incompatible materials from previous interventions will be removed, cracks will be repaired, preserved historic coatings will be consolidated, and only those points where there is material loss that compromises the stability of the whole will be reconstructed. One of the most significant works will take place at the top of the Mocha Tower, currently used as a viewpoint.
There, the roof will be completely renewed through a new waterproofing system, the formation of new slopes, and the installation of a rainwater drainage system. These measures will eliminate one of the main conservation problems of the monument, preventing leaks from continuing to deteriorate the historic walls and coatings.
The project also includes the renewal of the pavements of the courtyard and the interior paths, incorporating new drainage systems to prevent water accumulation and improve the conservation of the site. Additionally, work will be done on the two existing staircases: the one leading to the viewpoint will retain its original configuration, renewing only the step coverings with natural stone, while the staircase connecting to the liza will be rebuilt due to its advanced state of deterioration and will incorporate a new galvanised steel handrail with double handrails to enhance safety.
The intervention will make the historical evolution of the site more comprehensible through a differentiated treatment of pavements and archaeological remains that will facilitate the identification of the layout of the ancient wall, the alcazaba, the antemuro, and the historic 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, while maintaining the appropriate breathability of the walls.
Christopher Rivas has assured that, if all goes well, he expects these works to be completed by the end of the year, allowing the public to visit and learn in detail about this part of Alcalá de Guadaíra Castle. “By the end of 2026, the Castle will have made a giant leap with the lighting of the Alcazabas, the completion of the Sanctuary area, the opening of the Castle Interpretation Centre, and the restoration of the Mocha Tower,” he concluded.
You may also like
