He archaeological site of Cercadillalocated next to the AVE and bus stations in Córdoba, has been the scene of the installation of a shanty under the Los Tetrarchs passage (the bridge that connects the Vía Augusta and América avenues), in the center of the city. There you can see elements such as plastic, a mattress and a bed base. Some citizens report that the residents of this substandard housing have a bicycle parked at the door and They enter and leave walking through the archaeological remains without any control.

The enclave, considered a unicum in archaeology, which means that there is no other like it in the worldis managed by the Córdoba City Councilwhich has been its owner, since 2015. Sources consulted explain that, currently, the Municipal Urban Planning Management.

The main building of the archaeological site is a Roman imperial palace attributed to the tetrarch emperor Maximian Herculeus, which would have been built between the years 293 and 305 after Christ. In the enclosure you can see remains of furniture and carsand other garbage like drink cans.

Material under the pedestrian bridge that crosses the Cercadilla site. In the background, the archaeological ruins.



The archaeologist Camino Fuerteswho coordinated the site until 2018 and directed the last excavations, remembers that Cercadilla it’s a Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) with the category of archaeological zone and one of the most important deposits in Spain. This expert points out that “it is It is truly unfortunate that it is in these conditions. and the finishing touch is, unfortunately for the people who have to find themselves in such a tiny home, the existence of a shanty on the site. In his opinion, this situation “evidences the misuse and, above all, the neglect of this space, where a lot of money has been invested for its research and enhancement, and which since 2018 has been absolutely neglected.” of God”.

“It is used as a landfill”

Along these lines, he states that Cercadilla is exposed to vandalism and the presence of animals such as rats and cats, and that “it is being used as a landfill.” In his opinion, keeping the site in good condition does not represent a problem and refers to the necessary work on the vegetation, the garbage removal or renovation of signage. «It is at the gate of the city and instead of taking advantage of it to welcome people, it speaks of the neglect to which exhibit the archaeological assets of Córdoba», he says.

Camino Fuertes refers to the sanctions that are can apply to owners of private plots due to lack of maintenance. In this regard, he comments that the site spaces located at the bus station and on private property of Antonio Gaudí street, which houses some emiral baths, “are perfectly preserved». “What fails,” as he explains, are the spaces of Via Augusta and Avenue of America, managed by the Córdoba City Council.

Several people walk next to the material placed under the bridge, at the Cercadilla archaeological site.



So things are, claims that the research work carried out in Cercadilla “has been enormous” and has generated more than 100 publications, including six books, which deal with the Roman palace, the suburb, the Christian church or the necropolis. «Your investigation of him is done and can be disclosed. Maintenance fails, which is the basics», he remarks.

This newspaper consulted this Tuesday Córdoba City Council What measures will it adopt regarding the installation of a shanty in Cercadilla, but has not received a response at the moment. For its part, the Delegation of the Government of the Junta de Andalucía in Córdoba reminds that the management of this historic enclave corresponds to the Municipal Council, which is its owner.