The Ministry of Culture and Sports has organized, on the occasion of the International Day for Monuments and Sites celebrated on April 18, a wide range of informative activities to celebrate and showcase the heritage of the autonomous community of Andalusia. The activities include guided tours, theatrical performances, workshops, and games for the whole family. The theme for this 2025 edition is ‘Heritage resilient to natural disasters and conflicts’.
This commemoration, organized by Icomos (International Council on Monuments and Sites, a subsidiary of Unesco), has been celebrated since 1982 with the aim of raising awareness about cultural heritage and the need to protect it. This is one of the main pillars of the management of the Minister of Culture and Sports, Patricia del Pozo, in a community that boasts seven cultural assets and one natural asset recognized by Unesco as World Heritage.
«We continue to invest in Andalusian heritage assets and we must continue to do so, as there are always pending interventions and needs to address,» said Del Pozo, who recalled that since 2019, the government led by Juanma Moreno has invested €71.2 million in the restoration and conservation of Andalusian historical heritage.
The Ministry of Culture and Sports is also engaged with the theme of this edition, ‘Heritage resilient to natural disasters and conflicts’, as it conducted the first evacuation and safeguarding drill for cultural assets in Spain at a World Heritage site, the Archaeological Ensemble of the Dolmens of Antequera, in March. «This will help us create safeguard plans for all spaces in Andalusia,» said the Minister.
The activities will take place in heritage sites across the eight provinces of Andalusia, ranging from a tour of the dungeons of the Alhambra to Roman painting workshops at the Archaeological Ensemble of Italica, a visit to the restoration of the North wall of the Alcazaba of Almeria, or a guided tour of the Phoenician tombs of Trayamar at the Museum of Malaga, among other proposals, to be held around April 18.
In Granada, the Board of the Alhambra and Generalife has organized a guided tour by architect Santiago Pecete Serrano to some of the lesser-known areas of the monument: the dungeons and silos for food preservation. Additionally, the Casa de los Tiros Museum offers a family-friendly ‘geocaching’ game on April 12 in the neighborhood of Realejo, where museum pieces will serve as clues to geolocate representative spaces in the city.
Alhambra de Granada. (Photo: Lucía Rivas)
Also in Granada, the Archaeological and Ethnological Museum has planned two activities: on April 16, a family game to discover the monuments and sites of Andalusia through challenges and questions; and on April 19, guided tours led by architect Rafael Pedregosa Mejías on the monumental surroundings of the center, aimed at a general audience.
The Huelva Museum will commemorate the International Day for Monuments and Sites with a workshop on April 18, focusing on the prehistoric steles found in the archaeological site of Cañaveral de León.
Up to five activities will take place in the province of Jaén for the occasion. Starting on April 16 at the capital’s museum with a workshop on the Charilla Treasure, one of the main sets of medieval Islamic metalwork. The next day, the Ibero Museum will host a themed visit to its various collections.
On April 19, a theatrical visit will be held at the Archaeological Site of Puente Tablas, with the participation of three actors and a specialist. The following day, the site offers a guided tour of different excavations. Lastly, the Archaeological Site of Cástulo is organizing a virtual immersion on April 20 in three of the cisterns recovered at the site using 3D glasses, followed by a tour of these spaces.
In Malaga, the Archaeological Ensemble of the Dolmens of Antequera proposes a ‘prehistoric and family Saturday’ on April 12 at the Tholos del Romeral, where the public can enjoy entertaining stories about the monument and various activities. Additionally, the Museum of Malaga offers a thematic guided tour on April 15, led by specialist Eduardo García Alonso, focusing on the Phoenician tombs of Tramayar.
In Seville, the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage (IAPH) is organizing a historical visit on April 18 to this restoration reference center, affiliated with the Ministry of Culture and Sports, illustrating the work on the church of El Puerto de Santa María, as well as publishing various social media content related to the monuments and sites of the Digital Cultural Heritage Guide.
The Archaeological Site of Carmona has also prepared a guided tour by a specialist of the amphitheater and necropolis on April 18. Meanwhile, the Archaeological Site of Italica offers two activities on April 19: a theatrical visit led by an archaeologist for a family audience, exploring the main points of the site and delving into the celebrations dedicated to gods and emperors in this city; and a Roman painting workshop, also for a family audience.
The activities in Seville will conclude on April 24 with a guided tour of the Cultural Heritage Logistics Center of Andalusia in La Rinconada, where visitors can learn about the industrial architecture and facilities of this large container that houses the collections of the Archaeological Museum of Seville, whose building is currently undergoing modernization.
During Holy Week, the opening hours for museums and sites managed by the General Directorate of Museums and Cultural Sites will undergo some modifications due to the festivities of Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Therefore, on Tuesday, April 15, Wednesday, April 16, and Saturday, April 19, these sites will remain open during their regular hours, from 9 am to 9 pm; on Thursday, April 17, Friday, April 18, and Sunday, April 20, they will operate on holiday hours, from 9 am to 3 pm. As usual, they will be closed on Mondays.