The Maricel Palace recovers the railing of the terrace and looks whiter than ever

The repair works of the railing of the Palau de Maricel have already been completed and the terraces are again open for guided tours. Last week the scaffold was removed, which accompanied the realization of the work and allowed to free the façade of the Maricel  deTerra and the bridge that joins the two ensembles, which now show an intense white thanks to the layer of paint that they have received

Restoration work started just past holy Wise Men and lasted longer than expected, as the works progressed, parts were opened which needed to be stabilized immediately. The main reason for the work was the restoration of the cornice and the railing of the terraces of Palau de Maricel, which were in very bad state. Last year several cracks and unstable parts were detected, which required the placement of a protection network to prevent any loosening.

The cracks were formed by the oxidation of iron elements added in the eighties when the terraces were restored and the jardinieres were projected in the aie, which previously reached the ground. These iron elements penetrate deep into the wall to the cornice and, when inflated, they break it.

The action allowed to recover the latticework of the railing that had been disintegrating and disappearing leaving the empty holes. It was intended to reuse only the original latticework, but when disassembled they were seen that under the paintings they were literally truncated, so that a mold was made and twenty-nine produced, with the original aspect of the hidden ones.

The process also involved the restoration of the gargoyle on the Racó de la Calma. Disassembling the railing showed that this element was broken in several fragments and that the entire angle had yielded to its weight, which represented an obvious danger. To restore this angle of the building it was necessary to partially disassemble the jardiniere on the terrace, which has been reconstructed by returning it to the original form.

Once the repair finished, the façade of the Palau de Maricel was painted at the height of the Fonollar Street, as well as the bridge that links Maricel de Terra and Maricel de Mar. The works have been directed by the architect Oriol Pascual and executed by Construcciones Navas, in charge of the maintenance budget of the Sitges Heritage Consortium.

Evening at Maricel. Precisely, the emblematic bridge of Maricel will open exceptionally this Saturday (and Saturday, August 25), on the occasion of the Evening under the Full Moon in Maricel, included in the Sitgestiu 2018 programming. This event invites Maricel's rediscovery, with its history, its secrets and its collections, on the occasion of the full moon session on July 28 and August 25.

The assistants will be able to carry out new routes through the Maricel and move from one space to the other through the bridge, which only opens occasionally and that it was closed for years now. The event begins at 9pm and ends with a glass of cava for all attendees. Tickets can be purchased on the web  www.museusdesitges.cat and the reception of museums.