Mayor José Luis Sanz has announced an investment of €867,690.90 to protect, expand, and modernise the Archive, Newspaper Library, and Publications Service. The majority of the budget, €567,690, will be allocated to a new documentary deposit in Polígono Calonge.
Seville City Council has set aside a budget of €867,690.90 to give a facelift and overhaul to the Archive, Newspaper Library, and Publications Service (SAHP). The figure, as detailed by Mayor José Luis Sanz during a visit to the facilities, represents the most significant commitment in recent years to a department that has safeguarded documents since the 13th century.
The mayor has not held back in his descriptions: he has defined the archive as the "living memory of Seville". A service that, according to him, is not just a simple storehouse of old papers, but a strategic tool to connect the past with future generations. The investment comes after years of "lack of substantial actions," municipal sources have acknowledged.
A new documentary node in Polígono Calonge
The largest portion of the budget, €567,690.90, will go towards the creation of a state-of-the-art documentary deposit. It will be located in a building of the Institute of Culture and Arts of Seville (ICAS) in Polígono Calonge. The aim is to centralise funds that are currently spread across various municipal buildings, complicating management and access.
The works include a comprehensive redistribution of the space to increase storage capacity, reinforcement of security and fire protection systems, and the removal of architectural barriers. Special attention has also been given to energy efficiency and environmental control systems to ensure the optimal preservation of historical documents.
Protection of architectural heritage
At the same time, the City Council has awarded €300,000 for the consolidation works of the facade of the Municipal Newspaper Library. The building, which is a unique historical property, required urgent intervention to halt its deterioration. This action protects both the documentary content and the architectural structure that houses one of the most important press collections in the country.
For the residents of Seville, this news has a direct impact: the new deposit will allow researchers and citizens easier access to documents that have until now been scattered. Furthermore, the improvement of working conditions for SAHP staff will result in a more efficient service.
A unique documentary treasure in Spain
The SAHP is the cornerstone of the Municipal Documentation Centre. Its figures are impressive: it safeguards nearly 10,000 linear metres of documentation. Seville boasts the first Municipal Archive in Spain and the second most significant municipal Newspaper Library in the country, with over 40,000 titles. Additionally, there is a specialised Library and a Photo Archive managing more than two million images, making it one of the most prominent graphic archives in the national territory.
The mayor's visit also had an emotional touch: it coincided with the retirement of Marcos Fernández Gómez, who has led the service since 2000. Fernández Gómez, a city council employee for 40 years, received the mayor's gratitude for his dedication and professionalism. Sanz highlighted that his work has been key to placing Seville's documentary centres among the most prestigious in Spain. "Without his dedication, we wouldn't be talking about this legacy today," the mayor noted.
The works in Polígono Calonge and on the facade of the Newspaper Library are set to begin in the coming months, according to the City Council. The estimated timelines are one year for the completion of the new deposit and six months for the rehabilitation of the facade. Meanwhile, the service will continue to operate normally, although there will be some temporary access restrictions that will be communicated in due course.
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