«For yours is that parcel of glory forged in the heat of your brokenness. For it is of your efforts that victory is yours. Because you are your stonemason the white gold». Thus ends the poem carved on the Monument to the Stonemason of Macael. And the fact is that the stonemason in Macael means everything, said the mayor of Macael, Raúl Martínez, during his speech at the inauguration of the Monument to the Stonemason Square on Wednesday afternoon. «It means the union of a people, it means our roots, our identity. It means so much that we can not fail to invest in extolling this figure; this monument, the historical recreation, or the tribute that is made in December, all in honour of our stonemasons,» said the mayor.
It has been 45 years since Macael built this monument, and it is only now that the municipal government has decided to renovate the sculpture, at the foot of which you can read the names of all those Macaeleros who have lost their lives in the sierra. The last one, Clemente Martínez. That is why his family was invited to the ceremony held to unveil the plaque installed in the square and to make a wreath in memory of Clemente, El Checa. «Clemente was a great stonemason, but basically a great person» said the Mayor of Macael.
The inauguration ceremony of the remodelling of the square was attended by the president of the Provincial Council, Javier Aureliano García, the vice-president, Ángel Escobar, several provincial deputies, the Delegate of Industry, Guillermo Casquet and the municipal corporation, as well as numerous neighbours. «We have made a reform taking advantage of the different finishes and textures, trying to improve what we had. The railing is the original, obviously the monument to the stonemason has also been restored to be able to read the poetry. And everything else is new, with the different finishes made by our companies», Martínez explained.
A façade with forty-eight pieces that simulate a marble bench, as was done in antiquity. And the rest of the façade is decorated with a trompe l’oeil, simulating the quarry. The base supporting the previous monument to the stonemason is now formed by cobblestones with the carved names of all the people who have lost their lives in the sierra. Benches and flower boxes have been installed, and the entrance has been adapted for disabled people, as well as having new lighting.
The works have been financed by the Provincial Council’s Provincial Plans, which is why its president presided over the ceremony. «When Raúl told us about this project to pay tribute to the stonemasons, we told him to go ahead. You should feel very proud of all those names carved on this monument. People who have given their lives to bring their families and this town forward. But also, because in every corner of the world there is a little piece of Macael. Not everyone can say that», said García, after having a few words of encouragement for Clemente’s family.
The ceremony ended with a floral offering at the monument, made by the children of the last deceased stonemason, Javier and Chari.