This summer, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage of the Government of Aragón will begin the fifth phase of restoration at the Roman villa of La Malena, located in Azuara, Zaragoza. This new cycle of work starts after emergency efforts were undertaken to mitigate damage to the mosaics caused by the torrential rains on June 13, 2025.
Emergency Work due to Flooding
The floods resulted from the overflow of the Cámaras River, severely affecting the site with water levels of up to 1.50 meters. Emergency actions included the extraction of water and mud, as well as the cleaning and protection of mosaics in various rooms. The company Piedra Casbi Construcciones and a team of restorers led by Ana García, with support from Artyco S.L., carried out these tasks at a cost of 368,162.88 euros.
With a budget of 986,150 euros, funded by European MRR funds, this phase has a duration of 8 months. The work will focus on protecting significant areas of the site, continuing the restoration of mosaics, and establishing a building for the reception of tourists. This phase follows the guidelines of the general preliminary project from 2017 and aims to consolidate the tourist use of the already restored areas.
Declared a Good of Cultural Interest in 1992, the villa dates back to the 3rd-4th centuries AD and is notable for its decorative richness, especially for its mosaics. Discovered in 1986, it has been the subject of multiple interventions, including four phases of work since 2017 that have focused on the protection and restoration of the west wing and part of the south side of the complex.
