4 million Euros have been allocated by the coastal authorities of Andalusia for the restoration within the space of a year of the legendary Castle of Sancti Petri. In addition, a mooring platform will be built on the tiny island so tourists can visit this legendary site.

The Island of Sancti Petri is situated close to the coast near Chiclana de la Frontera and San Fernando and myth and legend has it that in this enclave stood the most famous of all ancient temples - the Temple of Hercules.

Today, the castle is a collection of 16th and 17th century buildings although their origins go back to 12th century. Since then it has been colonized by various races and cultures and has suffered attacks by pirates. It was also bombarded during the French invasion, first between 1810 and 1812 and then in 1823 during the second French blockade.

The ravages of time and the lashing of the waves have left the castle, and particularly its outer walls, in a dilapidated state, and the aim of the authorities is to restore these walls to their original state. However in order to withstand the continual battering of the sea, materials and reconstruction techniques will have to be used which are compatible with the original materials.

The landing platform is intended for small boats. This will allow tourists to visit the castle as well as allowing maintenance work to be carried out on this emblematic site which has been a meeting point of various civilisations ever since the Phoenicians first landed in Cadiz more than 3000 years ago and sited the Temple of Hercules.

This project has only been possible after seventeen months of in-depth study of the monument and its surroundings, carried out by companies specialised in the sustainable treatment of national and maritime monuments such as INES (Ingenieros Consultores) and GIS (Gestión Integral del Suelo).

These studies, which finally came to an end in December of this year, required the participation of a great many professionals from a wide range of fields of expertise (Engineering, History, Architecture, Petrology etc) in order to restore this important national treasure while respecting the site’s historical, social, engineering and architectural value and heritage.