The Novelda City Council has activated an urgent action protocol after the detection of serious structural problems in the Sanctuary of Santa María Magdalena, the most emblematic building of the city and a reference of Valencian modernism. The alert was given after the discovery of significant longitudinal cracks in the left tower of the temple, which forced the temporary closure of the site to guarantee the safety of visitors. The first investigations indicate a worrying origin: the enormous weight of the monumental stone organ could compromise the stability of the architectural ensemble.
The emergency intervention, carried out by a specialized company, is currently focused on securing the tower concerned by installing perimeter slings and a protective mesh. These preventive measures aim to avoid possible detachments while an exhaustive technical study is carried out to determine the real extent of the pathology. According to preliminary reports, the weight of more than 35 tons of the organ structure could cause excessive settlement of the embankment on which the Sanctuary is located, which would have led to movements in the foundations and the subsequent appearance of cracks.
The discovery of these deficiencies happened by chance during a drone flight planned to precisely assess the viability of continuing construction of the aforementioned stone organ. The Tourism Councilor, Geno Micó, highlighted the speed of the municipal response, emphasizing that the actions began a few days after the cracks were detected. Although technicians indicated that there was no risk of imminent collapse, the decision to close the temple and take extreme precautions was taken to protect the integrity of this heritage asset while the exact causes of the problem are analyzed.
Following a second expertise dated December 22, carried out following a visual inspection at height during the emergency action undertaken in recent days at the sanctuary, it was revealed the existence of “more serious cracks” than those initially detected by a drone inspection, cracks which “compromise the stability of the tower” and present a “serious risk” for the most emblematic building in Novelda.
The new cracks, located at the top of the tower, affect the meeting point between the orb that supports the cross and the four pillars that support it, making the situation even worse.
The Department of Historical Heritage, headed by Geno Micó, has already started the necessary administrative procedures to carry out the emergency action proposed by the architects who wrote the report. This action is considered essential given the “extreme severity” situation detected in the East Tower of the Sanctuary, which could endanger the overall stability of the building if measures are not taken quickly and accurately.
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