Albalat Halts Medieval Castle Excavations to Stabilise Crumbling Walls
The municipality of Albalat dels Tarongers has temporarily paused archaeological work at Castell del Piló to reinforce its most vulnerable structures before resuming excavation.
Mayor María Asensi confirmed that the consolidation works, funded by a Valencian Government (Generalitat) grant of around 50,000 euros, have already begun with clearing and vegetation-removal tasks around the site. The priority is to secure the most deteriorated wall sections and prevent collapses that could damage the archaeological remains.
The pause was decided at the start of the year after the Regional Ministry of Culture warned that continuing to excavate without first stabilising the standing structures posed a serious risk. The castle is listed as an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) — a status that in Spain applies automatically to all castles under a 1949 decree — and still has more than half of its grounds unexcavated.
Three campaigns conducted since 2024 have shown that the fortress is considerably larger than previously thought, and researchers are optimistic about its heritage potential for the Camp de Morvedre comarca. Excavations are expected to resume once the consolidation phase is complete, according to elperiodicodeaqui.com.