PROPERTY SEARCH
Stunning ceilings in Seville's Plaza de España set for restoration
€1.2 million state-funded project for Navarra and Aragón Gates starts mid-2026
Great news for Seville's iconic Plaza de España: the central government is investing €1.2 million to restore the beautiful coffered ceilings of the Navarra and Aragón Gates. The tender was published on January 12, marking the start of a nine-month project due to begin mid-2026. This conservation effort coincides with the centenary of the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition, the event for which architect Aníbal González designed the monument.Francisco Toscano, the government's sub-delegate in Seville, announced the details this morning. "An investment of 1.2 million euros aimed at halting the deterioration caused by the passage of time, enhancing the value of this heritage site, and guaranteeing its stability and preservation," he said.
All necessary approvals are now complete. The project received a favourable report from the Directorate General of Cultural Heritage and Fine Arts, essential since the site is a protected Monument. Seville's Ayuntamiento granted the building permit on December 23 2025. Architect Miguel Ángel López López, conservation architect for Seville Cathedral, conducted the preliminary studies, drafted the project, and will direct the works.
Laser scanning and thermography identified damage mainly from weather exposure, water seepage, air pollution, and construction methods of the era. The restoration will consolidate rotted wood using traditional carpentry, recover original polychromy, reinforce perimeter structures, repair roof-related cracks, restore the roof to prevent leaks, and install complex scaffolding for safe access to the high ceilings.
This careful preservation work will ensure the Plaza de España remains a treasured landmark for future generations.
You might also be interested in: Málaga Cathedral roof works hit by delays and rising costs
Image: Gerhard Bogner/Pixabay
