Clean, consolidate and replace. A group of restorers repaired the damaged rear facade of the Town Hall, which was begun in the late seventeenth century and ended in the eighteenth. The works focus on the restoration of the door, Baroque, which is badly damaged by the passage of time and pollution. In addition, the company awarded these works will make a latex mold to completely rebuild it in the future if necessary.

The stones that were quarried from the Sierra de San Julián, are limestones with large salt component which promotes its degradation and that it is visible on some stones in which, as the municipal archaeologist Paul Rosser, you can see shells marinas. This fact, together with time and pollution has led to the degradation of this architecture. The work will focus mainly on the restoration of the reliefs, cornices and other elements of the old back door. However, fearing that the degradation will go further the City Council has asked Urbana de Exteriores-the company responsible for these works included within the Plan E-to make a copy of latex from the door, in which you can see the shield Alicante guarded by two lions and surrounded by floral motifs.

Thus, "we have a still photo as it degrades more" and an exact mold "if you ever have to redo it entire," said the archaeologist. In his opinion, "the current solution is to consolidate what it is, but in the future may not be enough and thereby we will have a footprint of what there was."
The work, which will continue for several weeks, have started by removing the remains of the mortar joints of the stones from the rear door from the previous restoration, as stated on a plaque on the facade, it was undertaken in 1994. Subsequently, it will be renewed with a mixture of lime and sand more in line with the stones that make up this architectural element.

Ornaments, are also being cleaned, first dry and then with a special solvent for black spots caused by pollution. Subsequently, the architectural elements will be consolidated by impregnating the stones with a chemical solution to prevent unraveling. Some elements of the door will also be reset, such as cornices and capitals made ​​with old mortar, limestone will be rebuilt with the same characteristics, all as explained.

But probably some reliefs will not be able to remodel, which have almost disappeared filed down with the passage of time.

The local archaeologist explained that the Town Hall was begun "after the French bombardment of 1691 that destroyed the previous Gothic". We designed a new one, but different problems and the War of Succession did not ended until 1780, the date reflected on a plate next to the door, which is baroque, while other ornaments of the facade and the coronation of the two towers are elements of the rococo.

Source: Diario Información