Not long to wait for El Fraile rescue

WORK will at last begin on rescuing Cortijo del Fraile, a semi-ruined mansion near Nijar.
The 1920s tragedy of eloping lovers and a shooting inspired Federico Garcia Lorca to write Blood Wedding but until now its fame has done little to preserve the rambling property. At one point the Cortijo was on the verge of being declared a ruin although Nijar Town Hall revoked and finally shelved the resolution.
Its current owners, Agricola Mar Menor, have now applied for a licence to start work on preventing further deterioration of what is now listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC).
Although not an exhaustive restoration, the €140,000 project will begin by strengthening and underpinning the chapel’s bell tower.