The objective is for it to be awarded before the end of the year, around November. With the first allocation of 400,000 euros from the Generalitat Valenciana for this year, work can begin with the installation of scaffolding and the start of demolitions. This was announced by the mayor, Pablo Ruz, who highlighted it as a historic milestone for the city.
After 20 years, the restoration project will transform this space into a key location for culture, heritage, and citizen gathering. The deadline for submitting bids is 30 calendar days from the dispatch of the tender notice to the Office for Publications of the European Union.
The project, with an execution period of 36 months, will recover the main historical and architectural values of the building. It will include the improvement of the Arab Baths, protecting their vaults and enhancing natural lighting, as well as the recovery of the Gothic section and its light roof. One of the main challenges will be the incorporation of the ribbed vault of the original chapel.
The Baroque courtyard and the cloister will also be restored, with interventions on facades, vaults, and pavements. The former conventual dependencies will be adapted for new cultural and citizen uses, such as a cafeteria, library, exhibition spaces, and offices. Additionally, a rooftop walkway with a terrace is planned, along with the reorganization of the interior courtyard.
The Convento de la Merced is protected as a Local Relevance Asset (BRL) with integral protection and is part of Elche's Historical Artistic Ensemble and the Palmeral protection area. The mayor emphasized the municipal government's commitment to making heritage an essential pillar of its work, caring for people, public spaces, and the heritage that constitutes identity.
