This is how the façades of Malaga Cathedral have changed with the new balustrade
The balcony, which was left unfinished in the 18th century, can be seen in the section between the north tower and the doorway of los Naranjos patio
Malaga Cathedral is beginning to look even more like the plans drawn by the architect Antonio Ramos in 1784. The work carried out by the Cathedral Chapter to provide it with a gable roof to put an end to the problem of leaks that it suffered, included the execution of a decorative element that was only partially carried out on the main façade towards the Plaza del Obispo, but which meant a notable change for the façades.
This is a balustrade between pillars that can already be seen in the section of the north façade, between the bell tower and the cubillos that frame the doorway of los Naranjos patio. This balcony gives even greater beauty to the Baroque and Renaissance architecture of the Cathedral, which is gradually completing new stages of the work to install a roof like the one designed by the architect Ventura Rodríguez in 1764.
From the beginning of the current project, Bishopric's plan has been to complete the part of the roof beyond the gable roof. For this reason, although the four towers culminating in the structure of the cubillos will not be built for the moment, the balustrade is being built, under the supervision of the architects Juan Manuel Sánchez La Chica and Adolfo de la Torre Prieto.
In order to complete this façade, the pedestals that were missing had to be made. They were made by the Alicante company Bateig, which has specialised in natural stone pieces since 1878, in sandstone carved by machine and by hand. The company carrying out the work - the union of the construction companies Hermanos Campano and Grupo ORP - has devised an anchoring system that avoids the pendular movement of the crane and fits these carved stone elements in the exact place they should occupy on the perimeter of the Cathedral's roof.
Digitally projected pedestals
Although they may look the same, behind each pedestal there is a detailed prior task of measurements and digitisation, so that they have the exact measurements and orientation to hold the sections of balusters. In addition, each pedestal contains a shell or venera that has been made by hand by the stonemason Francisco Aguilera Casado, a craftsman from the town of Porcuna (Jaén) who, with hammer and chisel, has modelled the sandstone extracted from a quarry in Novelda (Alicante).
Although there are machines that could replace his work, the people in charge of the project wanted an artisan stonemason to carry out the most unique details of the pedestals that can already be seen at street level and also to be in charge of reworking elements of the balustrade.
Likewise, the work envisages completing the front of the main façade as it was designed by Antonio Ramos at the end of the 18th century. To the surprise of the Cathedral's current technicians, the angle formed by the top of the façade as designed by Ramos coincides with the slope of the waters of the roof planned by Ventura Rodríguez. In other words, everything was planned and fitted together to finish a Cathedral that was left unfinished and is now being reactivated.
The work on the roof of the Cathedral will not be completed until the end of 2027, but the balcony will be ready in the first part of 2026.
