Silvia Moreno Sevilla

Seville

Updated Sunday, February 25, 2024-13:47

  • Newspaper archive More tourists but with somewhat shorter stays in Andalusia

The Seville City Council will charge to enter the

Plaza de España

, one of the most emblematic monuments in the city, the work of architect

Aníbal González

, to finance its conservation and guarantee its safety.

This was announced this Sunday by the mayor of the Seville capital, the

popular

José Luis Sanz

, through his X account.

"We are planning to close the Plaza de España and

charge tourists

to finance its conservation and guarantee its safety. In addition, we will create a craft workshop school. Of course, the monument will continue to be freely accessible and free for all Sevillians," the mayor has indicated on social networks.

The Seville City Council will propose a collaboration agreement to the General Directorate of State Heritage of the Ministry of Finance and Public Administrations, directed by

María Jesús Montero

, to create a "management unit" for the maintenance and conservation of the Plaza de España which would mean, among other measures, closing the monumental complex and charging an entrance fee to tourists, as reported by

ABC

and confirmed by municipal sources.

Those

registered

in Seville and those born in the capital and the province would be

exempt from paying

.

The City Council, owner of the space in the square between the provincial benches and the balustrade, proposes creating a tourist-cultural itinerary through the interior of the Plaza de España subject to "a non-deterrent fee supported by a comparative study" that, In his opinion, "it would have great acceptance and a significant capacity to generate income."

These incomes, according to the agreement advanced by

Abc

, would be distributed between the State and the city council by 25% and 75%, respectively.

In the Plaza de España there are offices and administrative services that citizens use.

For them, the city council ensures that access is guaranteed, just as

horse-drawn carriages

will be able to enter the space .

The Plaza de España, a frequent focus of

acts of vandalism

that takes time to be repaired by the city council, was built between 1914 and 1929 and is the largest construction of the Ibero-American Exposition of 1929. Its tiled benches represent the 49 Spanish provinces.

Films such as

Lawrence of Arabia

(1962), starring Peter O'Toole, Omar Sharif and Alec Guiness, and

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

(2002) include scenes that have been filmed at this monument.

More recently, the monumental complex has been the scene of

concerts by international bands

and fashion shows.

During Latin Grammy week, held last November, there were galas and live music in the historic plaza.

The music network

MTV

has also organized recitals in the Plaza de España, as has the fashion brand

Dior

, which presented its new collection in 2022 in a square fully decorated for the occasion.

The Seville City Council intends to implement its plans to charge in the Plaza de España and close the venue

in phases

.

In addition to the exploitation of open space, the project plans to use the parts of the building that do not currently have it or only sporadically.

In this last point, the council's plan foresees creating two new exhibition spaces dedicated to the 1929 Exhibition.

An intense debate is already being generated on

social networks

between those who defend the city council's proposal and those who are against it.

In favor, it stands out that it is a way for tourists to contribute to the conservation of this monument.

Detractors insist that it is not just a monument, but a public square that they now intend to close.

"Are Piazza Navona, Central Park or Parc du Champs de Mars fenced off?" asks one Internet user.

For others, it is a "prostitution of public space" and "a theft of the city from its citizens" in the name of tourism that "only benefits a few."