The municipal government of Melón rules out dedicating the monastery to a hotel and will try to turn it into an agricultural research and production center, thus taking advantage of the 33,000 square meters of this environment. This is the project that the current councilor, Emilio Díaz, is considering after the Ministry of Development confirmed that an economic item of one and a half million euros has been approved to carry out the recovery and restoration works of the north wings and south of the Cloister of the Monastery of Santa María de Melón, which is a Site of Cultural Interest.
"I do not have a future here in Melón as a hotel the same as or in San Clodio because we try to give it another purpose and I think it has to be related to agriculture, especially ecological", said the municipal councilor. As a model, the Center for Agrarian Research in Mabegondo (A Coruña ") pointed out.
Emilio Díaz, however, added that it is a project to be studied, which will have to be accepted by the administrations and, also, by Heritage, taking into account that it is a protected historical artistic building.
In this way, the project of the previous PP government, which intended to condition eight rooms with the recovery of the Cloister of the monastery's Hospedería, has been definitively discarded.
The rehabilitation will be financed by the Ministry of Development within the Architectural Rehabilitation Program of the General Directorate of Architecture, Housing and Land.
The north and south wings are very deteriorated, since the only thing that remains practically are the walls of the building and the mayor now awaits the formation of the new government of Madrid so that the bidding and execution of the project can be expedited, while the Council of Melón will study the possibilities it has to create this ecological agriculture center, in terms of its orientation, the need for financial support and authorization, mainly from Heritage.
Regardless of this project, the Monastery of Santa María de Melón, of the Cistercian Order, could become an important tourist attraction, according to the municipal authorities.
Recovery and consolidation works
The already rehabilitated part of the monastery corresponds to the main facade of the building. Recovery and consolidation works were carried out there and an area was even used as a cafeteria for a time. The Xunta de Galicia has made investments in this monastery for an amount of approximately two million euros. In 2015, it carried out structural consolidation works, which were also extended to the church, with the replacement of roofs. Likewise, pieces of the Sa José altarpiece in the monastery church had been restored and consolidated, as well as other improvements to the interior, completing the work carried out in 2012, 2010 and 2009 for the consolidation of this monument. With the church completely restored and an interior part of the monastery fitted out on its main façade, There is still "a lot of work to do because I'm great," qualified the mayor, Emilio Díaz. The councilor acknowledges that with this latest rehabilitation project of the Ministry of Development there will still be "moito to restore", referring specifically to the part annexed to the church. For the execution of the works there is a master plan that had been financed by the Xunta.
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