The mayor of Úbeda, Antonia Olivares, participated in an audience held at the El Pardo Palace with the mayors of the Group of World Heritage Cities of Spain (GCPHE). During the meeting, the mayors conveyed to the monarch the main needs and challenges faced by municipalities declared World Heritage sites by UNESCO.
Olivares highly valued the meeting, highlighting the King's interest in the reality of each city. "It was a very productive meeting. The King showed interest in each of us and gave us the opportunity to tell him about the daily life of our cities and our needs," stated the mayor.
“"Many mayors have agreed on the importance of greater co-responsibility among the different administrations to address everything that maintaining and preserving cities with such important heritage entails."
The mayor of Úbeda took the opportunity to advocate before the monarch for increased financial allocation and more effective institutional co-responsibility among the various administrations to address the conservation and management of historical heritage. Furthermore, Olivares conveyed to the King the pride and responsibility that the UNESCO declaration represents for the citizens of Úbeda, emphasizing the "privilege" and "responsibility" of conserving heritage for current and future generations.
During the audience, the president of the GCPHE and mayor of Segovia, José Mazarías, informed the King about the Group's upcoming projects, including the First Ibero-American Meeting of World Heritage Cities in Cáceres. Mazarías also recalled upcoming anniversaries of UNESCO declarations, such as those of Toledo and Cáceres (40 years) and Cuenca (30 years).
The Group of World Heritage Cities of Spain, established in 1993, brings together fifteen Spanish cities recognized by UNESCO and works jointly in the defense, conservation, and promotion of historical and cultural heritage.
