Underground ‘water cathedral’ open to visitors
WATER wells do not normally look as spectacular as this: a disused reservoir in Pedreguer that looks like an underground cathedral has just opened as a tourist attraction.
Built in 1887, the giant hole in the ground used to be filled with water from the L'Ombreta natural spring at the foot of the Ocaive Castle via an aqueduct, and later from the Ocaive wells, providing a permanent supply for residents.
Empty and cleaned up, it was opened to visitors in 2001 when the clearing operation revealed it contained 24 tall pillars topped with narrow arches, like a basic version of the famous Grand Mosque in Córdoba.
The highest of the arches stands 6.9 metres (22 feet eight inches) high, all below ground, and it is reached by a descending solid-stone staircase.
But restoration works have taken 18 years, during which time this underground monument has remained shut off more and filled with water again.
Once again, it has been drained, the thick layers of mud at the bottom dug out, and pressure-washed.
This week, 380 residents and groups from two schools have toured the subterranean 'water cathedral' on guided trips lasting around an hour and a half.
Future trips in groups of no than 20 are expected to be scheduled soon.
The original building work is thought to have finished on March 17, 132 years ago, given that historical records show the workers took part in a fiesta that day and joined a parade up the stations of the cross bearing the statue of Christ.