ARCHIVED - Ministry criticizes lighting system at the castle and statue of Monteagudo

The castle of the Wolf King and the figure of Christ looking out over Murcia are in perilous condition

Despite the ambitious plans to convert the iconic statue of Christ which overlooks the city of Murcia from Monteagudo into the centre of a huge site of archaeological interest, it remains the case that the figure itself and the mountain on which it stands are in perilous condition.

In recent years grave concerns have been raised over the condition of the statue itself, with images taken by drones showing that parts of the fingers have fallen off, and of the rocky outcrop where it is placed. It should be remembered that prior to the placing of the statue which now stands here, the previous one was removed by the use of dynamite in 1936, a strategy which not only damaged the remains of the 12^th century castle built by the Wolf King (which lies under the statue) but also destabilized the mountain.

The latest problem to be confirmed this week is the precarious nature of the lighting system by which the statue is illuminated at night, the Ministry of Culture having confirmed to the Huermur association that the aerial cabling not only has an impact on the aesthetics but also damages the structure of the castle and the statue due to the wires being moored into them.

It is also clarified by the Ministry that one part of the system is inoperative while another is far too large for the purpose it serves, distorting the views of the castle and the statue.

Huermur describes the lighting system, which features 30 floodlights, as a “botch-job” despite it having been installed by the Town Hall as recently as 2015 at a reported cost of 25,000 euros.

The Monteagudo visitors centre

At the foot of the mountain, in the small town of Monteagudo, is a visitors centre and museum which constitute a highly recommended visit, with informative and fascinating displays showing archaeological remains from the last 4,000 years of human habitation in the area. The only thing missing is the chance to climb up to see the fortress and the statue at close quarters: this is now prohibited due to the delicate condition of the castle walls and the figure of Christ.

This statue of Christ replaced a previous one (dating from 1926) which was blown up with the agreement of the Town Hall of Murcia in the early stages of the Civil War in 1936, and such was the low esteem in which the Moorish castle was held at that time that little importance was given to the damage done to it by the explosions. By this time, though, the figure of Christ had cemented itself into the scenery in the minds of the population of Murcia, and 12 years after the war finished, in 1951, the replacement designed by Nicolás Martínez, the son of the original sculptor, was erected.

As for the castle itself, it was built by the Moorish ruler Ibn Mardanish, better known as “El Rey Lobo” (the Wolf King), who governed in Murcia, Valencia and Almería from 1147 until 1172. This was one of a series of palatial and military buildings in Monteagudo, another being the “Castillejo” palace, remains of which can be seen on a nearby hill, and some have speculated that the ruined castle of Larache may also the have been the work of the Wolf King.

Images: Huermur