Madrid expropriates medieval caves in Carabanchel for their conservation

The Marchal City Council has initially approved, by Plenary Agreement of August 31, 2026, the declaration of public utility for the project of conservation, rehabilitation, protection, and enhancement of the complex of medieval domestic caves and the rock hermitage of Santa Catalina, located in the Carabanchel Neighborhood. The agreement, published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Granada (number 173, of September 8, 2026), declares the expropriation of the affected assets necessary to execute the action.

The decision is part of the protection of local heritage of interest to the municipality, and now opens a hearing and public information process of fifteen days so that potential interested parties may submit allegations, in accordance with the Law of December 16, 1954, on Compulsory Expropriation.

Assets affected by the expropriation

The announcement expressly identifies the asset that must be occupied for the execution of the works:

• Cave dwelling in Barrio Carabanchel 2.
• File No. E5-81 of the Local Heritage Catalog – Buildings.

The list of assets and rights to be expropriated is available to interested parties on the City Council’s electronic office (marchal.sedelectronica.es).

Hearing process and allegations

Pursuant to article 18.1 of the Compulsory Expropriation Law, a hearing and public information process is convened for a period of fifteen days, counting from the day following the publication of the announcement in the gazette. During this period, those who may consider themselves interested parties may appear and submit as many allegations, suggestions, or claims as they deem appropriate.

However, according to article 19.2 of the same regulation, regarding the expropriation necessary for the execution of the works, only allegations submitted for the purpose of correcting possible errors in the list of assets or rights to be expropriated will be admitted.

The announcement shall serve as notification to interested parties in the event that personal notification of the granting of the hearing process cannot be carried out.

Signature and scope

The document is signed by the mayor-president, Juan Manuel Valdivia Morillas, in Marchal, on August 31, 2026. With this initial approval, the municipality takes the first administrative step to ensure the conservation of a complex of domestic caves of medieval origin and the rock hermitage of Santa Catalina, a unique heritage that the City Council considers to be of interest to the town.

The declaration of public utility constitutes the prerequisite that enables the compulsory expropriation of the necessary assets, so that the action can be undertaken with legal guarantees. For the residents of Marchal and the Carabanchel Neighborhood, the measure represents the launch of a process that seeks to preserve and rehabilitate a historical legacy of great value, with citizen participation guaranteed through the public information process.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Granada, no. 173, September 8, 2026, Local Administration section – City Councils, pgs. 44-45 (official reference: BOP-GRA-2026-173011).