No need to climb stairs when visiting the cathedral in Almeria City

THE belfry at Almeria cathedral now has a lift.

Installation began at the end of 2020 so that, as the diocese has always wished, the top of the 17th century belltower could be accessible to everybody, including those with mobility problems.

Not everybody has welcomed the addition, starting with the Provincial Heritage Committee, whose Heritage Protection department head, Joaquin Sierra, voted against its installation when the project was announced in 2019.

“This will cause irreversible damage to historic elements of the dome and its wooden rafters,” Sierra predicted, adding that the lift also contravened Article 20 of Andalucia’s Historic Heritage Law.

Sierra later resigned and was replaced by Diomedes Parra.

The Friends of the Alcazaba were equally unenthusiastic about the cathedral lift.  This had been done in the name of accessibility although several of the entrances at the Moorish stronghold continues to be inaccessible for visitors with reduced mobility, a spokesperson said.

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