Raisin' the roof…

THE Arnauda riurau in Javea is now a cultural centre.

The Marina Alta’s riuraus were built to process and dry the area’s muscatel grapes and the Arnauda structure, built in the mid-19th, was one of the largest in the Valencian Community.

Five years ago the riurau was in ruins, standing on land designated for development. The town hall obtained a €90,000 grant to move it stone by stone to Montaner park where it was rebuilt by constructor Manuel Olivares. The riurau still had to be roofed, however, and the same builder has completed the €74,000 task.

Now it has returned to its former glory, with wooden rafters and more than 2,000 reeds beneath the roof tiles. It was not easy to locate the traditional materials needed for the roof, said Javea’s Heritage and Tourism councillor Antonio Miragall. To obtain the reeds, for instance, it had been necessary to spread the word amongst local families who still had supplies of them.

After inspecting the new roof Javea’s mayor Jose Chulvi thanked the Riuraus Vius association for making the public aware of the importance of projects like these and ensuring that children knew about their past.