Fresh start for historic building

BENISSA town hall believes a grant of €267,000 from the regional government will breathe new life into plans to convert an important historic building into a museum.

The Sala del Consell, popularly known as La Llotja, lies in the centre of the medieval town; built in the 15th century as a political meeting place, the three-storey structure was a school in the 19th century and has undergone various incarnations over its life.

The grant aid will allow the Llotja, in Calle la Purisma, to become a museum and reflect Benissa’s long history as a centre of culture on the Marina Alta.

The money has been made available from the regional government’s department of housing and bioclimatic architecture and is part of the ‘reconstruct towns’ project - which includes help to finance the protection of ‘emblematic and unique’ buildings.

Long-standing plans to convert the Llotja into a museum were put on ice by the previous council in Benissa town hall but it is now hoped the project will be finished by the autumn of 2021.

Mayor Arturo Poquet welcomed the backing from Valencia and paid tribute to the ‘great management’ of his team, which had successfully raised the profile of the town with a number of different public administrations.

And he said: “With this investment we will be able to adapt the Llotja, a characteristic building that reflects our architectural and cultural heritage.”

The mayor said it was also important to put political differences aside and work together to win new investment in Benissa.