ARCHIVED - Alhama de Murcia, phase 4 of castle restoration starts with a Kamov KA32
Alhama de Murcia, a helicopter was the only way to get a crane up this rocky outcrop
2010-12-14
A specialist helicopter with twin blades and double engines spent the morning in Alhama de Murcia constructing a giant crane on the Cerro del Castillo, to enable phase IV of the restoration project of the historic castle to begin.
A KAMOV KA32 had been brought in to do the job, this type of helicopter very rarely used in spanish construction projects, as it´s not every day that a restoration project of this nature takes place which requires lifting heavy weights into rocky areas which require this kind of precision flying, and the company contracted to do the work brought in a swiss pilot for this particular job due to the delicacy of the flying involved.
The crane was lifted piece by piece and assembled by workers who climbed up the structure as it grew in height, clicking the pieces into place one by one.
The helicopter has a twin blade system, powered by two engines, which rotate in opposite directions from a central pivot, with no tail rotor, the two opposing forces counteracting the turning motion of the blade. This gives the pilot stability and a vast amount of power, so he can lift 5000 kilos ( 5 tons) at a time and manoeuvre the helicopter with great precision, without having to worry about a tail rotor.
It was an incredible display of skilled piloting, the last piece to fit, the arm of the crane, weighing four tons and measuring 32 metres in length had to be inched across to its´final docking slot with minute precision and control, so that it could be locked onto the top of the structure.
Fortunately the wind held off and light drizzle made the job of the men on the ground more comfortable as it dampened down the dust generated by the down draught from the working helicopter.
These works which begin today are the fourth stage of the castle restoration project, at a total cost of 1.2 million euros, 75% funded by central government at a cost of 900,000 euros, and the remainder cming from the autonomous community and the council of Alhama.
The money comes from a fund called the 1% cultural fund, which has its roots in the Ley de Patrimonio Histórico, the historic heritage law, which obliges the public works department to spend a minimum of 1% of its contracted budget on the conservation of the countries´historical heritage and the support of artistic creativity.
Over 10 million euros has been committed to the region of Murcia thanks to this money, which is enabling several important historical projects to be undertaken, such as the conversion of the Palacio Aguirre in Cartagena into what is now the MURAM, the rehabilitation of the Convento de la Merced in Murcia, now part of the University of Murcia installations and the project to restore the Embarcadero del Hornillo in Aguilas, the gateway to the Region and where vast quantities of minerals were loaded and unloaded in the days of the great railway of Aguilas. ( built by the brits!)
There are many castles scattered across the region which have been of vital strategic importance throughout the history of the region, and 2.2 million euros has been spent from government funds in conserving them and opening them up for not only tourism potential, but also as a part of the educative process of the resident population.
The initial project, Castrum, began in 1989, the aim being to restore the castles of the Guadalentin Valley, as a co-operation between the Ministries of Culture, development and the Town Hall of Alhama.
Recent projects have included the rehabilitation of the castle in Aguilas, whch has some of the best views in the region and can be visited via free guided tours on the first Sunday of the month, or at will the rest of the time, the castle of Medina Nogalte in Puerto Lumbreras and the castle in Moratalla, scene of atmospheric summer concerts which was originally rebuilt by the Order of Santiago following the expulsion of the arabs from the region.
This close intermingling of arab and christian cultures has made the Region what it is today, and Alhama has closer links than many, having formerly been the site of hot spring waters which had attracted the attention of first the Romans, then the arabs, who gave it its name, Al-hammah means thermal baths.
Archaeologists have been slowly working their way through the site which show the history of the castle from its XI century arab occupation , through to the XVI century.
Many items from the daily lives of its former occupants have come to light, from tiny arab jars to pieces of the tinajas, large storage vessels used to contain grain, oil, wine and water, small objects of personal adornment, and many small architectural elements, even down to fittings from the doors and the tack of the horses in the stables.
As is only to be expected, there are a large number of finds relating to the arab inhabitation from the 11th to 13th century, then evidence of the reconquist and a change of occupancy, the nature of the finds clearly showing the replacement of one culture with another.
It´s a fascinating project for those working on it, and during the next two years many other interesting finds will come to light as the structure of the castle is stabilised ready for public viewing.
The Government Delegate, Rafael González Tovar, came along to watch the exercise, accompanied by the Mayor of Alhama de Murcia, José Espadas López, and in his capacity as the representative of the spanish central government in the Region of Murcia, reaffirmed the commitment of central government to projects such as these, and the ongoing economic benefits brought to the local economy as its tourism develops.
If you´re interested in discovering a bit more about the history and customs of Alhama, there´s a free guided audiotour in english which you can follow at your own leisure, and is well used by english residents when they have visitors looking for something interesting to do with a morning. Click for free audiotour of Alhama
