Cultural heritage. The architect Santiago Varela proposed in a book a dozen city tours from existing sculptures and even those who never reached to rise. Over 60 modern, classic, valuable and less important works.

Over sixty sculptures raised and twenty other examples already disappeared or projects that never materialized conform the sculptures of the Urban walks in Alicante, written by architect and inspector of Artistic Heritage of the Ministry of Culture Santiago Varela, offering a new perspective of the city through several tours of the sculptural heritage of Alicante.

From the coast to Santa Barbara Castle, Gran Vía or Avenida de Denia, Varela dissects the city into twelve spaces and draw a map with "large and small, ancient and modern sculptures from the mid-nineteenth century to today, from that citizens felt grateful to his superiors only when the Administration has become the major sponsor of the sculptures in the street, "he said yesterday at the launch of the book, edited by Urbana de Exteriores responsible for restoring 50 monuments through two programs of the Department of Culture.

Among the collection of sculptures, the author emphasized yesterday the works of Bañuls as a whole, the Pantheon and the monument Quijano to the Holy Face of Arcadio Blasco; modern sculptors also considered valuable sculpture on the Albariño Belinchon at the Galicia Square and the steel of Sobrino Ochoa in the square of San Cristobal, among others. Among those that were never executed, include the Monument to the Caudillo, to who they were going to spend 135,000 pesetas in 1976, or the Memorial to the Foguerer of Oteiza, "it would have been very interesting," said the author. Asked whether some works abound today, Varela said that "as the authors and promoters still alive he will better leave this matter for a second edition. As he would not like to  hurt sensibilities, but obviously there are a few of shallow draft." In his book, indeed, there is little criticism of the works, as it focuses on documenting their origin and characteristics, to link your site to the environment, and provides other information and historical detail parts.

However, there are some that do not escape his judgment. From the sculpture Guesser Ripoll-the sculptor from Castellon responsible for the macroescultura of the Castellón airport, he openly criticizes its location in Plaza de la Puerta del Mar, "in the middle of the sidewalk and the road that pedestrians follow, with physical integrity of risk for hikers "; the existence of the Coaxial work of Viktor Ferrando says" i tis a huge pedantry plus a blunder in the use of iron rail material "Three sculptures on the Nice ride notes that the result is "fussy and prim, it is perhaps overly nice."

Nevertheless Varela runs the sculpture with the idea that the book "will serve as a reflection to citizens in these rides because the sculptures are part of the memory of the city," he said, recalling the importance of the bourgeoisie a century ago in sponsoring these works figures who acted for the benefit of the community as Maisonnave, Canalejas or Quijano, showing "that desire of perpetuity that our ancestors paid for by public collection and contribution of the City."

Source: Diario Información