The Department of Culture has announced the resolutions for the Plan Restaura, a funding line for the restoration of museums, their infrastructure, and movable heritage assets. In Baix Vinalopó, the results have been mixed, with Santa Pola being the municipality that has obtained the most funds, nearly 100,000 euros for the clock tower of its Castillo Fortaleza. In Crevillent, allocations have gone to small museum spaces, while in Elche, funds only reached the foundations of Puçol, Mupe, and L'Alcúdia, as the City Council did not apply for heritage grants.
The resolutions, published early this month, detail the granting of subsidies for the year 2026 totaling 3.9 million euros. Modality 1 prioritized smaller municipalities to promote equity and combat depopulation. In this call, Santa Pola received 99,565.27 euros, to be divided between 29,869.58 euros for this year and 69,695.69 for 2027, intended for the restoration of its castle's clock tower, following structural issues detected in January.
Several projects were rejected due to insufficient credit. These include the textile covering for the eastern thermal baths of the archaeological site of L'Alcúdia in Elche, the consolidation and rehabilitation project of the hydraulic complex of the Font Antigua in Crevillent, and the consolidation and rehabilitation of the 'Carboneras de 2 ojos' aqueduct in Aspe. The latter municipality, although outside the region, is collaborating with Elche on the joint restoration of these assets.
The second resolution, approved on July 24th, distributed 1.2 million euros from the Plan Restaura. This time, funds were more evenly spread among the municipalities of Baix Vinalopó. Elche's foundations received small grants. The L'Alcúdia foundation obtained 2,731.06 euros to expand the storage of archaeological materials, an action pending since part of the material was lost years ago. The Mupe, through the Cidaris Foundation, has secured 6,217.35 euros for conservation, equipment, and exhibition area renovation. The foundation of the Museo escolar de Puçol received two grants for the recovery of agrarian memory: 6,392.08 euros for the exhibition of a thresher and 17,607.92 euros for its restoration.
In Crevillent, 3,686.31 euros have been allocated to renovate the exhibition space of the Mariano Benlliure Municipal Museum. The municipality had previously received a specific grant of 430,000 euros for the Casa del Parc Nou, intended for the museographic implementation of the Municipal Archaeological Museum, bringing the total for this project to 869,762 euros when combined with the 439,762 euros from the Provincial Council of Alicante.
In Elche, funds were only requested by foundations. The City Council did not apply for this call, despite no limitations for the Plan Restaura. The city has ongoing projects, but others of smaller scope, such as the restoration of rammed earth walls at the Palacio de Altamira or the rehabilitation work in Curtidores, are awaiting funding.
