Asela Pintado
The Puerta de Alcalá has consolidated its position as a European benchmark in heritage conservation. The Mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, received the European Heritage Award / Europa Nostra Award 2025 this Monday in Brussels, granted by the European Commission and Europa Nostra for the comprehensive restoration of Madrid’s iconic monument. This is the highest European recognition in cultural heritage.
Martínez-Almeida dedicated the award “to all the professionals who have done a truly extraordinary job” and to the people of Madrid, “who feel this recognition as a gesture of affection for their city.” “The Puerta de Alcalá is not just a monument,” he emphasized, “it is an icon and a symbol of Madrid.”
Innovation and Citizen Participation
Begun in 2022, the restoration has been recognized for combining traditional techniques with advanced scientific methods, becoming—according to the jury—”a new European benchmark in transparency, research, and civic engagement.” More than 12,000 people participated in the “Open for Restoration” program, which allowed them to access the scaffolding and learn about the conservation process firsthand.
The project involved more than 100 specialists—restorers, architects, engineers, historians, stonemasons, blacksmiths, and sculptors—and employed everything from 3D laser scanners to laboratory studies of the original materials. In addition, environmental sensors were installed for continuous vibration and humidity monitoring, and an ecological protection system using raptor flights was installed to prevent biodeterioration.
