American Takes Stone From Roman Aqueduct And Tries To Sell It Online

Segovia City Council successful Castilla y Leon has lodged a general title against an American man accused of removing a chromatic from nan city’s celebrated Roman aqueduct and attempting to auction it online for €1,000.

The suspect, Glenn Murray, has lived successful Spain for decades and is simply a well-known section practice activist. He claimed nan action was a shape of protestation against what he describes arsenic years of neglect of nan UNESCO World Heritage site. According to Murray, he intended to donate nan proceeds from nan waste to a kindness chosen by nan buyer.

The granite artifact successful mobility weighs 17.3 kilos and measures 25 x 22 x 15 centimetres. Murray based on that it had already fallen from nan building and that he simply picked it up, sharing videos online successful an effort to show it was loose. The income station described it arsenic a “unique opportunity to get an authentic chromatic from nan Segovia Aqueduct”.

“The chromatic did not autumn from nan monument”

However, Segovia’s councillor for municipality readying and heritage, Alejandro Gonzalez, dismissed this type during an question and reply connected Friday August 8 pinch Cadena COPE, stating: “The chromatic did not autumn from nan monument; it was torn off.” The assembly maintains that nan artifact came not from nan main aqueduct itself, but from a masonry wall successful nan adjacent Plaza de Avendano – an area that still forms portion of nan protected Roman practice site.

Authorities person ordered Murray to return nan chromatic to nan Provincial Museum for conservation, imaginable restoration and eventual reinstatement. The lawsuit has been referred to nan Prosecutor’s Office arsenic a imaginable crime against heritage, and nan location authorities of Castile y Leon has been notified of a imaginable superior usurpation of practice law.

Public attention

Murray has agelong been vocal astir what he sees arsenic insufficient protection for nan aqueduct. He has criticised nan absence of signage to extremity visitors leaning connected its base, nan deficiency of barriers to forestall vehicles from approaching excessively closely, and nan tolerance of botellones – outdoor drinking parties – astatine its foot. He claims these activities lend to its deterioration and that his actions were intended to tie nationalist attraction to nan issue.

Glenn Murray receiving a prize from nan Queen Sofia of Spain. Credit: UNAN Numismática / Creative Commons

Beyond this latest controversy, Murray is good known successful Segovia for his decades-long run to reconstruct different of nan city’s historical treasures: nan Segovia Mint. Born successful Los Angeles successful 1952, he moved to Spain successful 1987 to study nan abandoned building. Supported by grants from nan American Numismatic Association and Spain’s nationalist mint, he conducted extended investigation successful nan Simancas and National Historical Archives. His doctoral thesis, completed successful 2004, demonstrated that nan hydraulic mint built by Philip II successful 1583 was nan oldest, astir precocious and best-preserved illustration of its benignant successful nan world.

Criminal charges

In 1993, Murray founded nan Friends of nan Segovia Mint Association, which successfully lobbied for nan tract to beryllium declared a Site of Cultural Interest successful 2000. This position opened nan measurement for stabilisation useful and its inclusion successful nan European EuroMint project. After years of advocacy, a restoration statement was signed successful 2005 and nan activity was completed successful 2011 – astir a 4th of a period aft Murray began his campaign.

Now, nan man erstwhile celebrated for his practice activity finds himself facing imaginable criminal charges successful a lawsuit that has stirred statement successful Segovia astir really its astir iconic landmark is protected.