San Sebastián tanneries in Toledo are at risk. Even if they belong to the Spanish cultural heritage, they are currently in a state of abandonment. Or “in a miserable condition”, as suggested by the Hispania Nostra association, that included them in the “Lista Roja”, which contains the cultural heritages that are at risk of disappearing; of being destroyed or of encountering a modification of their value. The aim is to make them widely known, in order to protect and promote them. Also because of the fact that the remains of the ancient tanneries could be erased by the construction of residential buildings.
A heritage to be preserved
The tanneries located in Toledo, whose origin dates back to the beginning of the 12thI century, are known as “the most ancient, complete and well-preserved of Spain. It is estimated that they have remained in business until the 18th century”. They essentially consist of a complex of industrial architecture that extends itself for a surfare of 800 square meters, with 54 stone tanks, 18 ceramic vats, various ovens and other elements used in the leather tanning and dyeing process. “This location of the tanneries, situated near to the Tagus river, to different springs and to the Arab baths of Yuso and Suso, close to the Church of San Sebastián, facilitated the tanning process, which lasted from nine to fifteen months”, as stated by Hispania Nostra. The association, then, claimed that the conservation status of the architectural site is “miserable, as it is essentially hidden by weeds”.
The variable of constructions on excavations
By the way, during 2006 it was signed a project that involved the demolition and the archaeological excavation for the construction of residential buildings. But, just two years later, the cultural department of the Castilla-la Mancha government decided to strictly link the execution of work to an appropriate conservation of the area after the discovery of “the largest preserved complex of tanneries in the world”. As reported by the website eldiario, on the State Official Journal dated 5th September 2008, it is written: “The extraordinary archaeological material that the excavation has discovered stands out for the finding of leather rests, tannins and leather hides”. The project is still ongoing. Is it possible and ethical to build residential buildings right on archaeological remains of this importance, in a World Heritage city? Some will say no, but others will support this project, because the work would reflourish the abandoned site.
Images from the Gobierno de Castilla-La Mancha
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