Caducado el expediente para declarar la Torre del Reloj de Limpias como Bien de Interés Local
The Department of Culture, Tourism, and Sports of the Government of Cantabria has declared the expiration of the procedure for declaring the Clock Tower, in the municipality of Limpias, as a Local Asset of Cultural Interest (BIL) with the category of monument.
As stated in the resolution, published this Monday in the Official Gazette of Cantabria (BOC) and consulted by Europa Press, in accordance with the Cantabrian Cultural Heritage Law, the resolution of the procedure must be issued and notified within a maximum period of 12 months from the date of the initiation agreement. If this period elapses without a resolution being issued and notified, the procedure will expire.
In this case, the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Historical Memory initiated the process on November 28, 2022, for the declaration of the Clock Tower as a Local Asset of Cultural Interest, with the category of monument. Subsequently, in November 2023, the Department of Culture agreed to extend the deadline for resolving the procedure by 12 months.
Therefore, given the expiration of the maximum established period without an express resolution being issued and notified, the procedure expires.
Against the resolution, which concludes the administrative process, an optional appeal for reconsideration may be filed with the Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Sports within one month, or directly an administrative appeal before the Court of Justice of Cantabria within two months, counted in both cases from the day following the publication of the resolution in the BOC.
CLOCK TOWER
When initiating the procedure, it was considered that the Clock Tower played a significant role in the cultural identity of the municipality since the Count of Albox invested part of his capital in providing services to his native Limpias and, in particular, financed the construction of this tower so that the locals could hear the official time while carrying out their tasks.
It was also taken into account that for a long time, the inhabitants of the municipality have taken care of winding the clock and preventing the ruin of the building, financing part of the frequent repairs it needs, as it is considered a fundamental part of the locality and therefore defines a prominent aspect of the cultural identity of the municipality.
The Clock Tower or Otero Tower is located on a high hill, allowing for a spectacular view of Limpias and the nearby towns of La Agustina, Carasa, Colindres, or Treto.
In addition to the building, erected in the mid-19th century, the declaration as a BIL will encompass the surroundings of the tower, in order to ensure the preservation of its heritage values.
With a height of 12.20 meters, the Clock Tower has a square plan, with masonry walls and ashlar in the corners and openings, and a structure divided into three bodies decreasing in height and section.
The main interest of this building lies in the value that this tower had for the residents of Limpias and the surrounding areas, thanks to which they could hear the official time. Other possible uses are also attributed to it, such as a lighthouse or a surveillance or communication tower, due to its strategic and dominant location in the territory.
