ARCHIVED - Strengthening of castle walls begins at the fortress of Despeñaperros in Cartagena
The 19th century fortification is also known as the Castillo de San José
Work is beginning this week in Cartagena on a project to strengthen and reinforce the north-west wall of the castle of Despeñaperros, also known as the Castillo de San José, at a cost of a little under 60,000 euros.
The works contract stipulates a maximum duration of three months from the signing of the official permits, meaning that the work will be completed before the end of the summer, and the bulk of the work will be carried out on the three sections of the wall which are most visible from the city centre.
Once this strengthening work has been carried out the intention is to continue with other parts of the fortress, the long-term aim being to increase its attractiveness as a destination for tourists. To this end, the second phase of restoration is already being planned, consisting of ensuring that all of the walls are stable and that there is no risk of falling masonry.
As well as reinforcing the north-western wall, the work which is starting this week also includes a general clean-up of the vegetation which has grown on the fortress and a thorough cleaning to ensure that the structure is restored to something resembling its original appearance. The initiative is one of the measures included in a wider plan to improve the condition of the historical centre of Cartagena, others being the remodelling of the portico in the Roman theatre, the restauration of the office in the Puertas de San José, restoration in the Plaza de Sor Francisca Armendáriz, an archaeological dig at the Punic Wall and the completion of the Roman Forum museum.
The castle of Despeñaperros
The castle of Despeñaperros, which stands on the hill opposite the bus station of Cartagena, was built in the 19th century as part of a larger defensive fortification ring around the city, but its location has been one of strategic importance for far longer: the hill was one of the five included in the city founded by Hasdrubal, king of the Carthaginians, in the third century BC, and on it there was a temple in which the deity Chusor was worshipped,
It is believed that in the 19th century the fortification of the hill coincided with the Peninsular War in which Spain fought to free itself from Napoleon’s forces, the idea being to be able to attack the nearby Castillo de los Moros should it fall into enemy hands. By 1846 it had fallen into disuse, although 13 years later reforms had restored it to acceptable condition.
But in the 20th century such fortifications had become redundant, and although the Castillo de Despeñaperros has been listed as an Item of Cultural Interest since 1997 its condition steadily deteriorated.