Macael has officially inaugurated its new Plaza de Almería, the monumental complex ‘Marmoris’, which invites visitors to take a journey through the history of natural stone to ancient Rome; a work that aims to become a tourist attraction for the municipality and the region, which together with the largest mortar in the world, the Fuente de Los Leones, the Monumento al Cantero or its Centro de Interpretación de la Piedra, are essential references for anyone who decides to take a walk through this flagship municipality of the marble region.
The event was attended by more than 400 residents and different authorities who, accompanied by the local businessman Paco Cosentino, uncovered the plaque located on one of the columns that support the portico of six Corinthian style columns, almost eight metres high, which gives access to the square.
A Roman pool where instead of a Venus, a replica of the Bacchus found in Chirivel in the Roman site of El Villar in 1985 has been installed, which is called Chirivello, the oldest piece found in the province made of white Macael marble.
A simulation of a Roman courtyard with twelve Corinthian columns three metres high surrounding an exact replica of the mosaic of the Itálica planetarium in Seville. This mosaic is composed of 220,000 handmade pieces, here made by Grabados en Mármol.
Presiding over the square, the visitor will find a massive fountain built in white marble, eight metres wide by four metres deep, where a sculpture of the God Neptune emerges, made in a single piece 2.30 metres high and weighing some 6,000 kilos, carved by the artisan Paco Alías «El Zapa».
In the new Plaza Almería, there are also marble benches and marble litter bins that decorate the brand new work.
The Mayor of Macael, Raúl Martínez was in charge of opening the ceremony, accompanied by the President of the Provincial Council of Almeria, Javier A. García; the Minister of Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy of the Junta de Andalucía, Ramón Fernández – Pacheco, the Government Delegate Aránzazu Martín and the President of the Cosentino Group, Paco Martínez Cosentino, among others.
The project, which has had an investment of more than 900,000 euros, has been carried out thanks to the joint collaboration between the Provincial Council of Almeria and the Macael Town Council with the collaboration of Cosentino, which has provided the marble used in the refurbishment, some 400 tonnes, free of charge.
The Mayor of Macael, Raúl Martínez, has described as «a great pride» to have promoted this work that brings five keys to Macael: «we enrich our cultural and monumental heritage; we gain a new tourist resource for the municipality and the province, we generate employment in companies, and we reinforce the image of the Macael brand, and it is a space for the enjoyment of all the neighbours». «It has been a challenge and here is the result; a monumental complex that is already part of our town, which makes us feel proud of our roots, our workers, our artisans and our companies».
The President of the Provincial Council of Almeria, Javier A. García, explained that «on the columns of this amazing monumental complex there is a legend in Latin that impeccably describes the great objective of this new space: Almeria Square: honour, pride and heritage of our people. Undoubtedly, the best definition of ‘Marmoris’ that Macael and the province have to extol the history of our land and the pride we all feel for being Almerian».