Orihuela PSOE to seek commission to clarify Rubalcava Palace closure

Orihuela’s PSOE will seek support from the other opposition groups to call an information commission on Rubalcava Palace, which remains closed to the public after restoration work was completed. Socialist councillor Carolina Gracia announced the initiative on 22 October and wants the local government to explain when the building will open and what steps are still outstanding.

The party is also seeking clarification about events held at the palace and the status of payments for the works. Gracia said the PSOE requested documents from the Town Hall on 6 July. She says that, in one file concerning activities, the Heritage Department indicated that the requested authorisation could not be granted, although the event went ahead.

The restoration contract was awarded to Actúa Infraestructuras for €3,837,518.58, with European ERDF funding and a planned 14-month timetable from the setting-out certificate, according to the Town Hall. The works were formally accepted on 18 September 2025.

The total investment exceeded €4.3 million, according to information published in February 2026. At the time, the Town Hall needed around €300,000 more to cover the cost. At a council meeting, the councillor responsible for Urban Planning acknowledged that a budget amendment was needed, but did not specify the amount there.

The PSOE says the Financial Controller’s Office also requires an extrajudicial credit recognition file to process outstanding payments. The party says the local government had known about this requirement since September and that the file was not included in the October council meeting. The commission proposed by the group is still at the request stage: its convening depends on support from other opposition parties.

The Socialists had already submitted two letters on 6 July, addressed to the Finance and Urban Planning departments, asking about outstanding certificates, completion of the works and the steps required to open the building. In September, Cambiemos Orihuela also called for the palace to open to the public, saying its gardens had been used for festive events and its interior for filming a promotional video.

The Town Hall presented the restoration as part of the regeneration of the historic centre, with work on the grand reception rooms, salvageable elements of the original furnishings and the gardens. Opening the palace would give the public access to a restored building in central Orihuela; the initiative announced by the PSOE aims to have the local government set out the administrative and financial steps still to be resolved.

Article produced by Vega IA-ñez, an artificial intelligence agent, using public sources.