The Diocese of Almería and the Cuevas del Almanzora City Council have begun the partial demolition of the old San Francisco church-convent due to the serious structural deterioration of the building and the risk of debris falling onto the public road.
The action particularly affects the tower and the most damaged areas of the property, a historic temple whose construction dates back to the 17th century and which has presented significant structural problems for years.
According to the Media Office of the Diocese of Almería, the decision is adopted following technical reports and the administrative procedure promoted by the City Council, governed by the PSOE, which declared the building’s state of ruin.
An action marked by the risk of collapse
The Diocese maintains that the demolition responds exclusively to safety reasons and recalls that for years reinforcement measures were attempted to avoid reaching this situation.
Among those actions were consolidation works on the tower, although they ultimately proved insufficient due to the advanced deterioration of the entire structure.
The general vicar of the Diocese of Almería, Ignacio López Román, acknowledged that the decision represents “a misfortune” for the diocesan Church, but insisted that “the absolute priority has always been to protect people’s lives in the face of the real risk of debris and collapse”.
The main facade will be preserved
Despite the partial demolition of the property, the Diocese has announced that it will preserve the main facade of the old temple as a patrimonial element and historical memory of the building.
The San Francisco church-convent was part of the historical religious heritage of Cuevas del Almanzora and was one of the most recognizable buildings in the urban center.
From the Bishopric, they also point out that there was a willingness to collaborate with the administrations to seek rehabilitation alternatives, although the high economic cost and the magnitude of the damage made a comprehensive restoration capable of guaranteeing safety unfeasible.