In the thirteenth century, it became one of the main historical milestones of the reconquest. The Christian troops, led by Alfonso VIII, rose with the victory in a clash that meant the beginning of the decline of the power of the Almohade empire. More than eight centuries later, he wanted to resurrect, in his own way, the spirit of this contest to achieve approval in the Andalusian Parliament of a non -law proposition (NLP) where the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa is recognized as “a vital antecedent for the construction of the Spanish national identity” because “it stopped the Muslim advance.”
The Vox initiative, which contemplates the statement as a good of cultural interest (BIC) of the battle monument in La Carolina (Jaén), has had the support of the PP and the PSOE. Of course, the socialists have unmarked from the declaration of the early party of the Ultra Party by underlineing that this battle and its museum that is in Clears “Addresses the historical fact from a culture of peace, inviting the visitor to reflection on multiculturalism.”
For the deputy of Vox for in the Andalusian Chamber Benito Morillo, who has been in charge of defending this initiative in the Culture and Heritage Commission, this battle “not only consolidated the union of the peninsular Christian kingdoms and stopped the advance of the Islam that aimed to reach Rome”, but also “it was a vital antecedent for the construction of the Spanish national identity.”
“It was the beginning of the end of the Islamic domain in Spain and the beginning of a new stage that would culminate centuries later with the unification under the Catholic Monarchs and the rebirth of a great nation,” added the deputy. In his opinion, it is important to know and disseminate this battle, because “it reinforces the importance of unity, the defense of our identity and cultural heritage that are essential to face the challenges of the present and build a solid future in Spain.”
At the moment, this initiative will allow the declaration as BIC of the Monument to the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, located in the Jiennense town of La Carolina and the work of the architect Manuel Millán López and the sculptor Antonio González Orea, for his “historical, symbolic, artistic and heritage relevance”. It has also been approved that the Andalusian Board elevates the Battle of the Navas of Tolosa, located in the municipality of Santa Elena, to “thus guarantee its financing, protection and continuity as a space for historical and cultural dissemination”.
The Andalusian Board must also protect the archaeological deposits of the battle, and launch dissemination campaigns and a historical-cultural route. Similarly, the Vox initiative urges “educational and informative campaigns that highlight this heritage among the Spaniards”, promoting the inclusion of the study of the battle of Las Navas de Tolosa in school programs and cultural activities and promoting school visits to the museum and the archaeological enclave as proximity pedagogical tools; as well as promoting a historical-cultural route that connects different milestones of the reconquest.
The PSOE supported the NLP filed by Vox, although it disagreed with its declaration of principles. For the socialist parliamentarian Ángeles Férriz, the Interpretation Center of the Battle of Las Navas de Tolosa, located a few meters from the Highway of Andalusia, in Deseñaperros, “it is not a space for the conflict, but quite the opposite.” In his opinion, it is a center that addresses the historical fact “from a culture of peace, inviting the visitor to reflection on multiculturalism.”
Ferriz praised the role of the Diputación de Jaén in the management and maintenance of this center and said that if it does not have the museum consideration it is “because it does not have a collection of museum pieces”, but “tells the story.” “Currently, the remains are being studied and investigated. When we see those challenges, we can see what collection there is and request their classification as a museum or as a historical site,” he said. Férriz indicated that it seemed good to request the BIC statement of a 1981 monument, but also that it is intervened in the most important site, with historical value, which is the Castro Ferral Castle, “which is falling apart,” he warned.
This castle is the main vestige standing in the contest, where archaeologists have given the alarm for their critical state of conservation. The fortress played a key role in the surveillance of the slab passage, one of the routes that connected the Guadalquivir and the Plateau in the Middle Ages.
