Xàbia receives 40,000 euro grant for renovation work on San Bartolomé church

Friday 13th January 2023
Mike Smith

Xàbia Council has received a grant of 40,000 euros to fund renovation work on the iconic fortress-church of San Bartolomé, a historic building in the heart of the historic centre which is considered a Heritage Asset (BIC) in the Monument category.

The funding has been provided by the Diputación de Alicante through an initiative aimed at municipal heritage assets and churches, a scheme which assists councils to apply for grants for renovation of these assets, even if they are now owned by the municipal, as is the case of the church-fortress in Xàbia.

Related Link: CULTURE COUNCIL TO ANALYSE CHURCH RENOVATION

The renovation project, which was considered an emergency, was necessary to repair cracks as well as attend to leaks in the nave, the sacristy and the communion chapel which were structurally damaging this jewel of Valencian Gothic architecture. The work was promoted by the parish, which is the owner of the property, and was concluded in 2021 for a total cost of 445,680 euros. The subsidy of 40,000 euros – the maximum allowed – has meant that just under 9% of that cost can be recovered.

Aware of what the investment meant for parish funds, Xàbia Council provided all the collaboration that it could from the outset to find the funding opportunity that fit (even though the town hall is not the owner of the church, which has made it difficult to apply for many of the funding opportunities) and to provide technical support directly to the parish.

Related Link: Renovation work on Xàbia’s fortress church presented at Ateneo de Valencia

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