The municipality of Montilla is progressing in the recovery of one of its most recognizable collective memory elements with the reconstruction project of the historic Puerta de Aguilar arches. These arches will once again become part of the urban landscape at the roundabout on Avenida de Málaga, opposite the entrance to La Toba, reinforcing the image of one of the main access points to the municipality.
The mayor of Montilla, Rafael Llamas, highlighted that the recovery of the arches is a "commitment and a conviction" of the Government team. He argued that their location at the current Puerta de Aguilar "is the ideal location, as it gives meaning and content to this construction," being an element with which many generations of Montilla residents identify and which will also reinforce the connection of the urban ensemble.
The first phase of the project has an investment of 24,006.40 euros, financed through the Diputación Invierte 2026 Plan. This action will allow for the execution of the metallic structure that will support the future arches and define their dimensions and configuration. Rafael Llamas explained that this structure is necessary because the original arches, built in brick and embedded in facades, had a stability that will now be resolved with an independent structure. The idea is to reconstruct the arches at a 1:1 scale.
To ensure the fidelity of the reproduction, the Montilla City Council will use original bricks from the old arches, some of which are currently preserved in various city spaces. These elements allow for knowledge of their dimensions and composition and will serve as a reference for reproducing the historical design.
The action will be developed in phases, with the first phase, focused on the metallic structure, expected to begin before the end of the year. Subsequently, progress will be made in the construction of the arches themselves, which originally had a stone base and a brick structure. The mayor indicated the municipal will for subsequent phases to be executed, as far as possible, by municipal services, with the masonry staff and under the supervision of the City Council's technical services.
The technical project has been developed by the municipal technical services, with the participation of municipal architect Carlos Cobos. It responds to the City Council's objective of recovering a heritage element of special significance for the citizens and making it a visual landmark for entering Montilla again, promoting actions to improve public spaces and reinforce the municipality's urban identity.
