The parish of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, from the 17th century, has cracks wide enough for a fist, woodworm in the ceiling, and a destroyed sacristy. The mayor denounces the lack of aid from the Diocese.
The mayor of Alcudia de Monteagud, Juan Manuel Sánchez, has reported the severe state of deterioration of the church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, a 17th-century temple that has deep cracks, woodworm problems, and a sacristy that is "totally destroyed." "I don’t know how it hasn’t collapsed," stated the mayor, who has communicated the situation to the Provincial Council and the Diocese of Almería repeatedly without receiving a satisfactory response.
The church, rebuilt in 1950 after damage suffered during the Civil War, retains a valuable Mudejar ceiling and frescoes inspired by the Catalan Romanesque style, created by priest Bartolomé Marín Fernández. However, the woodworm has affected the timbers and benches, and although a disinfection was contracted, the mayor points out that "this should be repeated every year and it is not being done."
The municipality, which has about 150 registered residents but only around 50 regular inhabitants, has carried out small maintenance works with its own funds, such as electrical repairs, painting, and damp removal. The church tower is currently being restored by the Town Hall, but the most urgent structural works remain pending.
In the absence of an institutional response, the residents have organised into a committee to request aid and have raised funds through raffles. "They are working very hard and well," acknowledged the mayor. The committee has managed to carry out minor repairs, but the situation of the sacristy, where the cracks allow a fist to fit, requires a larger intervention.
The Diocese of Almería is responsible for deciding which temples receive financial allocations from the agreement with the Provincial Council of Almería, initiated in 2012. Since then, the Provincial Council has contributed over 4 million euros for 242 actions in 71 municipalities, but Alcudia de Monteagud only received a grant of 25,000 euros in 2022 for the church, insufficient for current needs.
The Town Hall ceded some land next to the church to build a new sacristy, but the work has not been executed. "With the expansion of the cemetery, we ceded that land, but the Diocese has not acted," explains Sánchez. The parish houses the images of the patrons San Roque and Santa Lucía, as well as the Virgen del Rosario, which increases concern for the preservation of the heritage.
For the residents of Alcudia de Monteagud, the church is a symbol of their identity and a heritage treasure that risks being lost if urgent measures are not taken. The mayor insists that "this is a problem that has been dragging on for many years" and calls for a coordinated response between the Diocese and the Provincial Council to prevent a disaster.
Meanwhile, the residents' committee continues to work to maintain the temple in minimal conditions, but the lack of resources and institutional neglect endangers a legacy that dates back to the 17th century. The next planned action is the restoration of the tower, which is already underway, but the cracks and woodworm remain a constant threat.
The case of Alcudia de Monteagud reflects the difficult situation of many small municipalities struggling to preserve their heritage with limited resources. The church of Nuestra Señora del Rosario, with its frescoes and Mudejar ceiling, is an example of the rich cultural legacy of the Sierra de Los Filabres that needs urgent intervention to avoid disappearing.
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