The Málaga Provincial Delegation of the Andalusian Regional Government’s Department of Culture and Sport has asked Manilva Town Hall for an urgent and detailed report on the unauthorised building work carried out on a plot within the protection zone of the Castillo de la Duquesa. This area is listed as a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) in the category of Archaeological Zone in the General Catalogue of Andalusian Historic Heritage.
The work, which was carried out without the required authorisation from the Andalusian Regional Government’s Department of Culture and Sport, has directly damaged Roman structures linked to the pars urbana of the site.
Discovery and Damage to Heritage
The situation came to light following a communication received by the Provincial Delegation on 3 July 2025. An archaeologist from the administration reported an «apparently uncontrolled movement of earth» on a plot next to the Roman site.
An inspection carried out the same day by the technical services of the Málaga Provincial Delegation confirmed the damage. The inspection, attended by members of the Guardia Civil’s SEPRONA, representatives of Manilva Town Hall and the archaeologists M. V. and S. D., revealed a recent lowering of the ground by between 30 and 40 cm in depth, carried out with an excavator.
The documented damage includes harm to several structures of the wall, as well as to a salting tank lined with opus signinum on the inside. In addition, in the western part of the plot, a pile of extracted earth was observed which contained remains of Roman-era ceramic material and building elements such as small ashlar, rubble stone, bricks and tegulae.
Discovery and Protection of a Small Hoard of Coins
During the inspection, scattered «late imperial» coins were identified in the excavator’s tracks, and a cluster of coins was found that appeared to have been «hoarded».
As an emergency measure, council services placed two builders’ bags of sand over the possible hoard of coins to protect them from possible looting. The loose coins that were documented were collected and left in the custody of the archaeologist M. V.
Urgent Measures Requested
Given the seriousness of the situation, the Málaga Provincial Delegation has proposed several measures. Firstly, it has ordered that access to the plot be blocked by the Local Police by fencing it off, to prevent further damage to the site.
It has also proposed carrying out an «urgent archaeological operation». According to the report, this operation will focus on the documentation and excavation, using archaeological methodology, of the small hoard of coins found on the plot. The Department of Culture considers this action urgent because of the risk of the loss or destruction of archaeological heritage.
The Andalusian Regional Government has asked Manilva Town Hall to submit, within ten days, a detailed report on the work, the identity of the developer, the municipal licences granted (if any) and a copy of any disciplinary files or files on the protection of planning legality that have been opened. The case will also be referred to the legal services of the Provincial Delegation for consideration of possible administrative offences.
The Town Hall remains silent on this find
At the moment, Manilva Town Hall has said nothing about this highly important find, which gives the site even greater significance. The estate where the archaeological remains were found is not the same one that has been talked about in recent days, where machinery movements were detected and where the Partido Popular and Ecologistas en Acción asked the Town Hall for access to the full project file and information on the movements detected.
Como tenemos tanto patrimonio lo poco q hay nos lo cargamos