Spanish Castles in Santaella and Marbella Advance Archaeological Restoration

The municipality of Santaella in southern Spain has launched a €260,000 project, co‑financed by the European Union’s European Regional Development Fund, to restore its historic castle. The plan includes detailed topographic surveys, completion of pending archaeological excavations, structural consolidation, and the installation of universal accessibility features, all guided by a “minimum necessary intervention” principle.

In Marbella, the town council has finished the diagnostic archaeological phase of its own castle, a Bien de Interés Cultural. Since 2011, eleven excavations have uncovered Roman and medieval layers, including a complete stratigraphic sequence and an Almohad tomb dated to the late 12th century. The work combined geophysical surveys, mortar analysis, dating tests, and photogrammetry, providing a clearer picture of the fortress’s continuous occupation.

Both projects aim to deepen historical knowledge and prepare the sites for public visitation, highlighting the region’s rich cultural heritage.