Mijas Town Hall has promoted the complete restoration of the watchtowers of Calaburras and Torrenueva that have been almost in a state of abandonment for decades, despite being considered Cultural Heritage Sites by the Junta de Andalucía (Andalusian Regional Government). The objective is to recover them so that they can be visited by the public. 
Work has already begun on the Calaburras tower and will continue in Torrenueva in a few weeks. For four months, the specialised companies undertaking this project (VGC Global and Chapitel Restauración) will focus on the elements at risk of falling, removing pieces that have been added over the years, “including a geodesic point at the top,” said Juan José de la Rubia, head of the Mijas Historical Heritage department on Wednesday, 28th. He also pointed out that “another important task will be to clean the inside of these fortresses because they have accumulated a lot of pigeon droppings”. 
Likewise, the Mijas Mayor, José González (PSOE), visited the two towers and explained that “these works will also serve to waterproof the fortifications, preventing the entry of rain and strong winds, birds and any other kind of animals”.
As for the project, the head of Historical Heritage clarified that these towers are to be restored, not rebuilt, “because there are areas that have been lost but they are not going to be replaced as new”. The Historical Heritage Councillor of Mijas Town Hall, Laura Moreno (PSOE), stressed that “the two towers were in a poor condition. In fact, it has been more than ten years since any work has been done on them, which is why we wanted to embark on this ambitious restoration project”.   

The work Among the actions to be undertaken are the punctual restoration of the masonry and brickwork, the restoration of the preserved masonry, the necessary building elements replacement (masonry or brickwork) until the existing masonry is complete. According to the original metric and formal characteristics and reinterpretation of those destroyed elements essential for the towers’ use. The elimination of non-original remains that act as a binder, replacing them with  new lime, and a study of the conditions of the roofs.
According to Moreno, the project has a budget of 326,000 euros, provided by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda through the so-called 1.5 per cent Cultural (a commitment by the central government to allocate in public works contracts a specific item for conservation work or enrichment of Spanish Cultural Heritage), and the Mijas Town Hall itself. 
“We have been actively working on the recovery of the heritage we have in our municipality in recent years so that our schoolchildren, our pensioners and citizens can visit these towers, and the Finca Acebedo or La Puente, among other points of historical interest in our municipality”, said Moreno. The Mijas Mayor ended his speech by insisting that “we have to bet on other tourist segments that complement the sun and beach offer that Mijas has, and of course, the history of our municipality is part of that tourist attraction we must continue to work”. 
 

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