Fuengirola will restore its historic artillery pieces and make them shipshape again

Fuengirola town hall will restore the three cannons on the terrace of the Sohail Castle, the two located in the garden at the entrance to the Museo de la Ciudad and the 18th-century cannon and howitzer on the promenade. The seven elements, which form part of the "rich historical-artistic urban heritage", were used to protect the town in different historical periods.

Most of the artillery pieces "are very deteriorated" - something "normal" given their age and the proximity of the sea. Therefore, such "measures must be taken to eliminate the rust and deterioration of the wooden and steel bases that support them". The town hall has put the rehabilitation work out to tender for more than 88,000 euros and a completion period of 18 months.

In the case of the Sohail Castle cannons, the pieces have been "strongly" affected by several factors, such as the proximity to the sea, atmospheric conditions and the stabilisation treatments to which they have been subjected. Despite all of these deteriorating causes present at the site, the municipal technicians rule out the possibility of moving them to another location. "Storing them in roofed and closed spaces would be harmful, as they would suffer from a greater number of hours of condensation, humidity and, therefore, corrosion," they stated. The intervention will therefore serve to develop the conservation and restoration treatments that need to be carried out "as time passes".

As for the two cannons in the Museo de la Ciudad, the pieces have been damaged by atmospheric conditions and prolonged contact with the ground. These factors have caused the development of "a strong oxidation process" that has affected both the structure and the surface of the cannon. The town hall will carry out preventive conservation, pre-consolidation and corrosion inhibition work. In addition, the cannons will be provided with a base and the possibility of moving them to another location will be considered.

The howitzer on the promenade, located at the height of Calle Maestro Pedro Calvo, is an 18th-century artillery piece of Portuguese origin, which includes the Portuguese coat of arms and the name of Bartolomeu da Costa (1731-1801) - head of the arsenal or artillery factory in Lisbon.

The action is part of the policy of conservation and enhancement of historical heritage carried out by the Fuengirola ruling team, which includes the rehabilitation of the Museo Abierto and the construction of a visitor centre to showcase the archaeological remains found in the town, mainly in the Roman city of Suel.