Monte Paraiso - Attractions


	ATTRACTIONS
	Locked And Barred To The Public

The department point for the trip round the old part of Marbella is the Plaza África, the improvised gateway into the town’s most historical streets. Antonio Rodríguez Feijoo, chairman of the Cilniana Association of the Defense of Marbella’s Historical Heritage, starts to explain the ins and outs of the ancient buildings and monuments of old Marbella. Most of them are closed to visitors and tourists alike.

"It is apparently not in bad condition", comments Sr. Rodríguez as we walk along. "It is better preserved than some since it is inhabited, but as always happens, there is a "but" – building work has been carried out inside which has changed the structure.

The San Juan de Dios Hospital is the first stop but the same thing happens at all of them; the explanations are given outside the building because the façade is the only part that we are allowed to see. La Trinidad Convent, the walls of the Alcazaba, the Altamirano House, the Governor’s House, the Inn, the Chapel to the Holy Christ and the old part of the Town Hall are out of bounds to tourists. In some cases this is because they are not really in a fit state to be visited, In others because they are private property and yet others because special permission is required unless "you are just lucky enough to find the door open". "What is needed is a special short-term scheme stating what should be done and where application has been made for the necessary grants. We must start up a project to restore these deteriorating Buildings", says Sr. Rodríguez.

It is only possible to see inside two of the old buildings along this route round the historical part of Marbella. Their dilapidated condition is obvious from the outside. The bylaws haven’t helped much either. "Absolutely nothing has been done since 1983, when a plan to protect the old part was first proposed", protests the chairman of Cilniana. However the current three-party coalition has turned its attention to the matter, although Cilniana says that certain condition must be clearly stipulated. The first is the presence of municipal archaeologist to identify anything that is found under the ground when any building work is carried out in the old houses. "If you send in a digger and you don’t look at what is there is will be lost forever", he maintains.

That is not all. The word "uniform" is heard again and again during our walk round the old part. Brightly colored walls, huge plastic signs and awnings that hide the beauty of the buildings are eyesores in every historical street. "In recent years it has been chaos", remarks Sr. Rodríguez. Three years ago an application was made to the Andalusian Government to denominate the whole of the old part a historical- artistic complex. This would protect it from town planning excesses, but the matter is still being considered. Meanwhile, the association visits these old buildings again and again to keep an eye on their condition.

We chose four here – two which can be visited and two which are closed to the public – to analyze in greater depth.

The Toursits Can't Just Be Told That It's Where Lola Flores’ Daughter Got Married

The Church of la Encarnación (the Incarnation) is undoubtedly one of the flagship buildings of old Marbella. The parish church, baroque in style, was built, according to Cilniana, on the site of the old mosque. It is in reasonable condition. "It can’t be said to be in poor condition, but, like everything else, it could be improved", says Sr. Rodríguez. It is visited daily by hundreds of tourists and it is looked after by the diocese, which is in charge of conservation and opens the church to the public for visits as well as for services.

However a lot of people are more interested in who has been here and who has got married here than the artistic aspect. "We shouldn’t be telling visitors that this is the place where Lola Flores’ daughter Lolita got married". Complains, Sr. Rodríguez. To him Marbella is more than just sun and beach tourism. Moreover he considers that Marbella residents should be more aware of their historical heritage.

Very little has been done in the way of assessment of the condition of the church. "It is not one of the buildings that need most doing to it."

However the chairman of Cilniana does say that in the future it will be necessary to do some excavation work to ascertain the distribution of the ancient mosque and also whether there are any Roman remains. And it is not only inside the church that this should be done; the adjacent houses and waste ground should also be subjected to archaeological research.

The Church of La Encarnación was built at the beginning of the seventeenth century and in those days people happily built on top of previous buildings without taking into account the value of what they were destroying.

The Only Part That Can Be Seen Is The Chapel As The Rest Is In Ruins

The little chapel at the San Juan de Dios (St John of God) Hospital is one of the most attractive structures in the old part of the town. Tourists can see an image of Lord Jesus the Nazarene Entering Jerusalem and the beautiful high altar, restored by the council in 1942. But they can only gaze at them through an iron grille. Moreover this little chapel is the only part of the Royal San Juan de Dios Hospital, founded at the end of the fifteenth century by the Catholic Monarchs, which can be seen at all. "The building has been put to several different uses down the centuries, such as a lodging house for travelers". Explains the chairman of Cilniana.

But the two stories surrounding a central arched patio are locked and barred. "Nobody can go in as it is in a state of ruin", he points out. The GIL council did have a scheme to restore it and use it to house the municipal museum, but the plans are still lying in a drawer somewhere. Meanwhile the Cilniana Association has applied to the Andalusian Government for the building to be denominated an Asset of Cultural Interest so that it is restored as soon as possible. But a great deal will have to be done. "The roof has partly fallen in and one side of the building has completely caved in", says Sr. Rodríguez. He considers that if something is not done soon and the building is not put to use it will be too late.

Even Though It Has Been Modified The Mudejar Towers Remain Standing

Very few people know this building as the Hospital Bazán – only those who have lived in Marbella for many years. To newer residents and touristsalike it is better known ae the Marbella Print Museum, Where scores of works of art have been hanging on the walls for over a decade. This is precisely the point that the chairman of Cilniana makes; if the historical buildings are put to use they are no longer left to fall into disrepair.

Erected in the first half of the sixteenth century, the building has been altered and enlarged on several occasions. "The inside has been considerably modified", says Sr. Rodríguez. That is in contrast to the outside; the mudejar towers ("the most representative in the town") are well preserved. It was a mayor of Marbella, Alonso Bazán, who bequeathed this building to the town. On his death he left all his property for use as a hospital for the poor; hence its name.

In 1990 a lecturer at Malaga University, José Luis Morales, first considered the idea of creating a museum in the town for which he had available a collection of around two thousand prints. And which had recently been restored by the Andalusian Government, but for which no use had been found.

The rest is history. The museum is now open Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. for the enjoyment of all those who love art and architecture.

It’s Worth Making The Most Of It As It Is Most Important Element Of Our Historical Heritage

Impressive is the best description of the remains of the wall of the ancient Alcazaba and castle. There used to be an unobstructed view of the coast from here but not nowadays, with the mass of cement crammed along the seashore, it is not so easy to see it.

The chairman of Cilniana doesn’t hesitate to describe the castle and walls as the most important item in Marbella’s historical heritage. However the only part that remains of the oldest fortress are stretches of wall and the odd tower on the point of toppling over. "It is worth making the most of this valuable building but some archaeological work must be done in the María Auxiliadora School are, to see what is there", he insists.

But for the potential of this spectacular building to be realised there should be a ban on further construction work within the walls and the houses that are already there removed as they fall into a state of ruin. "It should be possible to visit the castle but some of the towers are in such poor condition that nobody can go in", adds Sr. Rodríguez.

Tourists have to make do with walking round the outside of what used to be the Alcazaba, although what they can see is reasonably well preserved. Since 1949 it has been catalogued as a Cultural Asset, one of the highest levels of protection for a building, and it is for this reason that it is preserved to the extent that it is on the outside. The chairman of the Cilniana won’t hear of it being turismo (Government-run hotel). He says: "There are no ancient buildings in the insides as there are in other castles, so the structure would have to be built from scratch." This was a scheme that the GIL party was considering but nothing came of it.