The Council begins the expropriation of the Castle of Alaró

PalmaThe Council of Mallorca approved this Wednesday in the Executive Council to initiate the compulsory expropriation file for the lands of the Castle of Alaró. This was announced this Thursday in a plenary session by the island councilor for Territory and Infrastructure, Fernando Rubio. The island institution

The file affects about 200,000 square meters. The adjacent buildings are excluded. Now a public information period of 20 business days will open for interested parties to present allegations. Afterwards, the Council must definitively approve the expropriation and formalize the act of occupation of the lands.

The initial reference value has been set at approximately 195,000 euros, in accordance with the rustic land classification. The amount, however, is provisional: a committee of experts will have to evaluate the lands and the ethnological and heritage elements found there.

The Castle of Alaró is a property of cultural interest declared in 1931. In the complex there are six large cisterns, walls, ditches, and cataloged silos, in addition to several archaeological sites. The Council plans to acquire it to create a historical interpretation space there.

Rubio explained that the institution has been trying to acquire the castle for years and that, finally, the technicians have considered that the most appropriate way is compulsory expropriation. The councilor has described the initiative as a “historical milestone” and has defended that the castle is an asset of incalculable value and a symbol for Mallorca. He also thanked the work of nine officials from the departments involved and said that the Council is “one step closer” to the castle belonging to all Majorcans.

The spokesperson for the PSIB-PSOE in the Council, Catalina Cladera, has stated that her group will applaud when the expropriation is definitively approved, because now only the processing of the file begins. However, she has valued that it is the result of many years of work and recalled that the acquisition was foreseen in a modification of the Territorial Plan that was not approved. Cladera also joined in the congratulations to the technicians.

The PP spokesperson, Núria Riera, celebrated the start of the file and described it as a “success for all,” which she attributed to a government “sensitive to our culture and heritage and hardworking”.

The president of the Council, Llorenç Galmés, has acknowledged that it has not been an easy job and has thanked the government team for their momentum, as well as the work of the Department of Territory and the technicians who have participated in the processing.