The City of Totana has begun this week the restoration works of the Juan de Uzeta Fountain, whose actions are funded by the Autonomous Community under a direct subsidy processed by the Department of Historical Heritage in the amount of 42,989.59 euros.
The Local Government Board awarded the contract for the rehabilitation of this infrastructure last July to the company "Salmer Cantería y Restauración, SL", with registered office in the deputation of Parrilla (Lorca)
The basic and execution project was carried out by the architect Francisco Guerao, whose bidding process was attended by two specialized companies;
and whose contract was signed at the beginning of this month of September.
The works, which will last until mid-November, contemplate an integral action in the monument and its architectural environment, and these will be undertaken by virtue of the grant granted by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture totanero Consistory, recalled Councilor for Heritage Historical, Inmaculada Blázquez.
The source is in the protection environment of the church of Santiago, declared a Site of Cultural Interest, so that the report of the Regional Historical Heritage Service concluded that "the intervention foreseen in the reference property did not pose a danger to the integrity of the temple and did not alter his contemplation. "
In addition, the current architectural and landscape features in the area of ​​intervention of the project are "degrading to the monument", assuming the rehabilitation of the source and its immediate environment "an improvement" of them, as reflected in the technical reports of the Historical Heritage Service of the Autonomous Community.
The Plenary of Totana agreed in September 2016, unanimously, at the proposal of the mayor of Historical Heritage, request the then Department of Culture and Spokesperson the total subsidy of the cost of the works of rehabilitation of the source and its surroundings, given its progressive state of deterioration.
This baroque monument was built in the 18th century and is located as part of an urban ensemble of great artistic and cultural value.
For a while now, signs of an advanced degenerative state have been observed in the monument, with evident aesthetic degradation and problems of water flow.
This is the work of totanero Silvestre Martínez Teruel, and is part of an urban group of great artistic and cultural value that also served to provide drinking water for the population.
This is an iconic reference for Totana that was designed by the totanero Silvestre Martínez Teruel, a versatile character of his time who is credited with other important works in the municipality.
The councilor recalled that since the beginning of this term, in 2015, the regional administration claimed the need to intervene and restore this monument, since for some time now, "signs of an advanced degenerative state have been observed, with a evident aesthetic degradation and problems of functioning of the water flows, as well as structural deteriorations that can endanger original and unique pieces of the monument ".
Blázquez said that already in August 2016 a formal request for a grant was made to the Directorate General of Cultural Assets to intervene in the source and its environment, supported by a technical project that detailed the needs and interventions to be made, and now these are going to become reality, this being a place of tourist and historical interest of reference ".
The councilor of the branch has shown his satisfaction for the beginning of these performances "and added that" it is my wish, that with this restoration, the structural part of the monument is consolidated and secured, and you will be able to appreciate the beauty of the original colors and marbles that our ancestors contemplated, as well as learning to value it as one of the most important elements of our artistic heritage and reserve it for many years with the interventions planned in their environment ".
