The restoration of the Torre Mocha in Alcalá will finish in December

The Torre Mocha of the Castillo de Alcalá de Guadaíra will recover its integrity with the restoration works being carried out at the fortress. The intervention, which began in summer, is scheduled to finish in December and has a budget of 249,000 euros. It is being carried out by a company specialising in the conservation of historical heritage.

The works include the structural consolidation of the tower and its alcazaba, the restoration of the stretches of wall, the tower and the outer wall, and the adaptation of the interior spaces of the enclosure. Work will also be done on the roof of the viewpoint, with a new waterproofing and rainwater drainage system, to prevent leaks from continuing to damage walls and claddings. The project includes the complete cleaning of the enclosure, the removal of vegetation and roots affecting the historic masonry and the restoration of the rammed-earth, rubble, brick and stone walls. Incompatible materials from previous interventions will be removed and cracks will be repaired. The staircase leading to the viewpoint will keep its original configuration, while the one connecting to the liza will be rebuilt with a new galvanised steel railing and double handrail.

The action is part of the Plan Almena II (2019-2030), the document that orders the conservation and enhancement actions of the Castillo de Alcalá and which has a favourable report from the Provincial Commission for Historical Heritage of the Junta de Andalucía. Before drafting the project, a preventive archaeological intervention was carried out and its results were incorporated into the execution project. The differentiated treatment of pavements and archaeological remains will make it possible to identify the layout of the old wall, the alcazaba, the outer wall and the Puerta de Santa María, without reconstructing disappeared elements. As a final phase, the walls will receive fungicidal and water-repellent treatments. The mayor of Alcalá de Guadaíra, Ana Isabel Jiménez, has stated that «a fundamental intervention of restoration and recovery of such a symbolic part of the alcalareño fortress as the Torre Mocha» is being carried out. The delegate for Culture, Heritage and Museums, Christopher Rivas, has pointed out that the action «allows us to continue recovering a monumental space as large as the Castillo de Alcalá». Both visited the works together with the delegate for Urban Habitat, David Delgado.