MÁLAGA; A GHOST TOWN

Málaga is the economical capital of Andalusia but, in many ways, the Capital of the Costa del Sol is also a ghost town. An abandoned city due to the incompetence of the Junta de Andalucia. When most people walk thorugh the historic centre of Malaga, they notice thousand of tourists mixing with the locals in a night out. But they can see too that Malaga has a lot of valuable buildings which future is quite uncertain. Abodoned treasures. Lets remember that the Roman theatre of Malaga remained hidden underground for many centuries. The theather lies at the foot of the Alcazaba fortress in the west ern part of the city. It was discovered in 1951. When the Junta took over the power in the region, they promised to restore the theatre in 1992. It goes without saying that their restoration by the Andalusians finshed in 2008.

San Agustin school is another ghost buildings in the heart of the city, in calle San Agustin, on the route to the Picasso Museum. This former convent and Fine arts Faculty is waiting for a works license to convert it into the State Public Library of Malaga. The investments costs 15 million euros to restore and adapt the building into the home of documentation. So not many people is optimistic about a quick restoration.

The Cister Convent or Abbey of Santa Ana is also waiting for an ownership dispute to be resolved. The building is the venue of the Museum Sacred Art which the Town Hall created some years ago. It was open for three years, between 2007 and 2010. During that period the Junta de Andalucia tried to steal the museum to the malagueños. The did have a project to send the collection to Seville. They also try to convince the Baronesse Thyssen, Carmen Cervera, to bring the Collection to Seville and not to Málaga. That time, the Capital of the Costa del Sol won the battle. Nowadays the Thyssen Museum can be visited in Malaga.

Hospital de Santo Tomas is part of the legacy that the Catholic Monarchs left in Málaga. It has a lovely chapel where the locals used to get married in the past. Located to the opposite entrance to the Sagrario church, beside the imposing Cathedral, it has been closed for many years. The incopetent andalusian politicians presented years ago some plans to convert the building into a cultural centre, but nobody knows what will happen now. The building is valuable not only for its architecture but also because of the chapel, with its 16^th coffered ceiling.

Some voices has been raised in the city against the policy of the Junta towards Malaga, but urgent actions hast to be taken if we want to restore part of our heritage. Anyway, taking a walk in the beautiful streets of Malaga is an experience not much difference from the first time you make love.

Sergio Calle Llorens