Fuengirola will create a visitor center to showcase its Roman past

On the slopes of the mountain upon which Sohail Castle stands, near the mouth of the Fuengirola River, the Roman city of Suel was established in the 1st century. This is evidenced by the archaeological site of almost 60,500 square meters, where the City Council has been conducting a research project since November 2018. Soon, the visitor center that the local Council will build on the second floor of the Palacio de la Paz will also attest to this.

This space of just over 80 square meters will include a large workroom for the study of archaeological materials and the display of the most interesting and relevant pieces found during the excavations at the site. Additionally, there will be an archaeological storage equipped with shelves that will house the boxes of various materials, once classified, as well as an area for washing the remains.

Alongside the work and visitation area and the archaeological remains storage, the project, which has just been put out to tender with a budget of 243,000 euros and a completion period of 120 days, includes the installation of an external elevator with three stops that will allow direct and independent access from the rest of the building and will remove accessibility barriers for people with reduced mobility.

With the creation of the visitor center and archaeological storage for the study of materials and other remains from the sites, the City Council will have a place where archaeologists and restorers will carry out "the necessary work on the archaeological materials found in the excavations," highlight officials from the Fuengirola City Council.

Furthermore, the planned project has an educational purpose by enabling this space as a center that can be visited by students and other groups from the city or neighboring municipalities. "The dissemination of these materials and studies to the general public is a commitment that will allow us to integrate our artistic heritage into society in a more active and practical way," the Council asserts.

The ancient city of Suel did not only encompass the territory where the site is located. The discovery of a Roman anchor or mooring block during the construction of the N-340 bridge over the Fuengirola River, and the ashlar blocks found in 1975 on its right bank, suggest that this population center controlled the use of the estuary and some navigable river stretch. Moreover, two inscriptions were found at other locations, one of them at Sohail Castle, and another at the nearby Acebedo estate, within the municipal boundaries of Mijas.