Serra begins the restoration works of the tower of l’Ermita (s. IX), monument of Arab period that was listed as relevant cultural heri-tage. It is located in the upper part of the urban area, next to the Calvary and hermitage that gives the tower his name. This inter-vention represents a further step in the recovery of the monumen-tal heritage of the municipality that began last year with the exteri-or restoration of Senyor’s tower .
The work has just begun with the internal emptying of the tower and archaeological surveys. This archaeological study will allow to determine exactly the origin of the tower and the reconstruction of the interior slabs.
To the work of consolidation of the walls, a landscape intervention will be added to the surroundings of the tower and the hermitage through a masonry wall and the planting of native shrub species. In addition, street furniture will be installed and the tower will be better illuminated. Show panels will be installed telling the story about the history and restoration, an intervention that is completed with two miniatures that are exhibited in the Town Hall.
The action involves an investment of about two hundred thousand euros to be financed with two grants. 116,215.64 will be paid through the Diputació de València with the IFS program and the rest, € 81,842 from the European Regional Development Fund managed by the Generalitat Valenciana. “We intend to value our rich architectural heritage and complement our tourist offer of na-ture,” says the mayor of Serra, Alicia Tusón. Serra is known for being located in the heart of the Sierra Calderona, however its rich monumental heritage is the great unknown. “We want to recover our monumental heritage so that it becomes an important generator of prosperity,” adds the mayor.The intention of the Town Hall, presided by Tusón is to continue recovering all the architectural heritage available to the town. A recovery that began with the exterior restoration of the Senyor’s tower, in the center of the town and will continue with its interior, for which a subsidy of 50,000 euros has already been obtained from the Diputació de València. Along with these two towers, the municipality also has those of Ria and Satarenya, also from the Arab period, located around the town. All of them were part of the defensive system of Serra’s Castle.
