The injection works of material in the subsoil of the Sagrario church in Málaga began this week, six years after the temple was closed due to the crack that splits its northern façade. The intervention, authorised by the Junta in May, aims to strengthen the ground at more than eight metres deep.
The Sagrario church in Málaga has taken a decisive step to try to reopen its doors. This week, the works of injecting material underground have started to halt the fracture that has kept the temple closed for six years, according to Diario Sur. The project, drafted by the architects of the Cathedral Juan Manuel Sánchez La Chica and Adolfo de la Torre Prieto, was authorised by the Junta de Andalucía last May.
The intervention consists of controlled injections of material at more than eight metres deep, below the level of the archaeological remains excavated in recent years. The objective is to provide greater consistency to the ground on which the building sits and thus stop the movement that has caused the large visible crack in its northern façade.
From the Ministry of Culture, whose delegation in Málaga considers that "the action through armed injections is presented as the most viable solution in terms of degrees of impact and execution," it has been emphasised that this technique allows treatment of the ground from only one side of the foundation and reduces the impact on a property classified as Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC).
The technique applies three simultaneous processes: impregnation, consolidation and stabilisation of the ground, and reinforcement of the subsoil using injection tubes. The operations are carried out by controlling pressures, flows and volumes. To avoid damage to the archaeological remains, the architects have prepared a map of the injection locations that has been approved by Culture.
Before starting the works, the Cathedral conducted a new campaign of surveys from autumn 2024 and throughout last year, which allowed for a precise overview of the subsoil. This information has been used to define the points where the impregnations will not damage significant buried remains.
The workers and machines are already occupying part of calle Santa María, which has been fenced off to allow the works. Additionally, scaffolding has been placed on the Gothic façade of the temple, pending restoration, to protect it from dirt that may be generated by the pressure injection works.
The archaeological excavations carried out in recent years in the vicinity of the Sagrario, at the request of the regional administration, confirmed a "powerful archaeological sequence" that spans from the late Roman period. Paleochristian remains were found, such as fragments of a lamp decorated with a cross and plates and patens with symbols of the lamb, the dove, and the peacock, dated between the 4th and 6th centuries AD. These materials were cleaned and catalogued for incorporation into the collections of the Museum of Málaga. Walls and parts of the mosque that was initially used as a cathedral after the city was conquered by the Catholic Monarchs were also located.
The temple, built in the 18th century, was included in 2021 in the Red List of Heritage compiled by the Hispania Nostra Association. The reopening will depend on the progress of the works and whether the movements of the subsoil are controlled.
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