The party wall of the Casa Tapón, housing the Department of Youth and the CIDAJ, facing the Plaza de los Santos Niños, is now decorated with a mural by artist Manu Cardiel, known for his local works. Mayor Judith Piquet visited the site to witness its execution and speak with the artist, who recently concluded his work.
The mural depicts a bird's-eye view of Alcalá de Henares, based on a 1565 drawing by Anton Van der Wyngaerde. The project, costing 12,700 euros, aims to beautify the facade and address the deterioration of the previous mural, as part of the aesthetic renewal of the Plaza de los Santos Niños.
Piquet emphasized that the artwork "promotes the recovery and visibility of our heritage" and represents "support for urban art and its young artists," integrating them into the city's urban regeneration plan.
Muralist Manu Cardiel explained the challenge of adapting the historical image to a more square format, prioritizing heritage integration over his personal style. He detailed the technical work undertaken for the mural's preservation, including scraping, fixing, coating, and a protective varnish.
The Councilor for Historical Heritage, Vicente Pérez, stated that the choice of the historical representation resulted from a joint reflection to ensure its harmony with the monumental surroundings. The artwork allows for visual recognition of 16th-century historical elements such as the Puerta de Madrid and the Archbishop's Palace.
“"With this work, we are also committed to the recovery and visibility of our heritage, based on this iconic historical drawing, as it is the first major graphic representation of our city."
“"We wanted to prioritize the heritage context over my style prevailing."
Concurrently, some critical voices have emerged regarding the removal of the previous mural by Argentine artist Miguel Rep. Cervantes scholar José Manuel Lucía Megías has questioned its disappearance and called for a debate on heritage, culture, and legality.
The mural by Miguel Rep, inaugurated in 2011 to symbolize the twinning of Alcalá de Henares and Azul (Argentina), had shown signs of deterioration for years. Although the initial intention was to restore it, the project was shelved and replaced by the new artwork.
“"The work in Alcalá began to show its first symptoms of 'stress' due to the passage of time within 'five or six' years of its inauguration."
