The Town Council has received the resolution from the Directorate General of Coasts, Ports and Airports authorising the installation of the sculpture of the Mare de Dèu del Carmen in the port area. This sculpture designed by the artist Arturo Serra Gómez is intended to be a tribute from Calpe to the seafaring family during the celebration of the centenary of the Brotherhood, but it will be impossible to install it before the end of 2024.
In 2022, permission was already requested from the General Ports o Directorate of f the Department of Public Works for the installation of the sculpture of the Mare de Déu del Carme in the area of the port where a group of containers are now located.
In January and March 2024, authorisation was requested again to install the sculpture in the year of the centenary of the Confraternity. In April, the response from the Directorate General was that it was not possible to cede land but it was possible to authorise its occupation, so in June the Consistory sent back the definitive project and the awarded sculpture, once again requesting authorisation for the installation of a sculpture of the Virgen del Carmen at the access to the port area.
Now, at last, the City Council has received the communication of the administrative authorisation to carry out the work and actions necessary for the installation of the commemorative sculpture in honour of the Mare de Déu del Carme. In order to install the sculpture in the public maritime domain, the Town Council has had to cede the temporary use of the sculpture to the Conselleria de Medi Ambient, Infraestructures i Territori de la Generalitat Valenciana, for a maximum period of 30 years.
The area to be occupied according to the project is 19 m2 of developed land in a landscaped area where there are containers (some of them underground) that must be dismantled prior to the start of the works. In addition, the City Council will close the surrounding access to the sculpture around the perimeter.
The sculpture was created by the sculptor Arturo Serra at a cost of 155,000 euros. The work represents the Virgen del Carmen, patron saint of sailors, according to the traditional iconography, that is, with the child in her arms and the scapular in one hand, on the base of the offering of flowers, and accompanied by three costaleros/carriers (anonymous) and a child, representing three generations (grandfather, father, young man and child).
The mayoress, Ana Sala, pointed out that ‘although our intention was to install the sculpture in 2024 to celebrate the centenary of the Brotherhood it will not be possible, but we will try to place it as soon as possible as a tribute to the fishing sector which is going through so many difficulties’.