Martos allocates 60,000 euros to the University of Jaén for the Roman forum of Tucci

The Local Government Board of the Martos City Council (Jaén) approved in an ordinary session held on September 8, 2026, modification I of the Strategic Grants Plan for the 2026-2028 period, which incorporates a nominative grant of 60,000 euros in favor of the University of Jaén. The agreement is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Jaén, number 176, dated September 10, 2026, under reference 2026/4228, signed by the mayor-president, Emilio Torres Velasco.

The modification responds to the need to include a new grant line in the plan following the final approval of budget modification file 2/2026, processed as an extraordinary credit. This created budget application 3360.480.00 in the General Municipal Budget for 2026, titled “University of Jaén Agreement Archaeological Studies”, endowed with 60,000 euros to finance a collaboration agreement with the university.

An agreement for Iberian and Roman heritage

The funds will be allocated, through the University Institute for Research in Iberian Archaeology, to archaeological excavations and research in Martos and to the enhancement of the investigated heritage elements. Among the sites mentioned in the announcement are:

• The forum of the Colonia Augusta Gemella Tucci, located under the Plaza de la Constitución.
• The Iberian oppidum of Cerro Alto.
• The Sapillo necropolis.
• The San Bartolomé rock inscription, among other sites.

The grant falls under Strategic Line 4: Culture of the plan, with an execution period planned for the years 2026, 2027, and 2028, financed by the municipal budget and structured through an agreement approved by the Local Government Board.

Regulatory framework and processing

The action is based on Law 38/2003, of November 17, General Grants Law, and on articles 10 and following of Royal Decree 887/2006, of July 21, which require administrations to specify the objectives, costs, and funding sources of any grant in a strategic plan prior to its granting. The original plan was approved on January 27, 2026, and published in BOP number 21, dated February 2, 2026.

The processing of the budget modification followed its own course: the initial approval was published in BOP number 149, dated August 4, 2026, and the final approval in number 167, dated August 28, 2026. Article 18 of the plan conditions the introduction of new lines on the prior or simultaneous modification of the document itself, which justifies the present update.

Objectives and indicators of the line

The new line pursues the protection and enhancement of the historical, cultural, and natural heritage of Martos, as well as improving the knowledge and image of the municipality. The monitoring indicators set are the number of studies oriented toward the inclusion of Martos in the Journey through the Time of the Iberians and the Route of Roman Baetica, and the number of actions for the enhancement of the forum of Tucci. The direct beneficiaries are the University of Jaén, and the indirect beneficiaries are the residents and visitors of the municipality.

The measure consolidates Martos as a benchmark for Iberian and Roman archaeology in the province, by guaranteeing multi-year funding for the research and dissemination of sites that constitute a top-tier cultural and tourist asset for the city.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Jaén, number 176, September 10, 2026, Local Administration, pág. 13463-13466 (official reference: 2026/4228).