The Ministry of Culture has granted technical support to the Education, Culture, and Sports Council of Castilla-La Mancha. This move aims to evaluate the damage inflicted on the Old Bridge in Talavera de la Reina due to the river Tajo’s recent rise. The recoveries will be conducted under the National Plan for Cultural Heritage Risk Management, coordinated with experts from the autonomous community.

Moreover, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge have agreed on an emergency intervention to rectify material damage caused by recent storms. This will be partly funded by the two percent cultural funds from the Ministry for Ecological Transition, prompting an urgent meeting of the joint commission between both ministries.

The two percent cultural fund is a crucial tool used by the Spanish Government for the preservation of historical, cultural, and artistic heritage. An agreement between the Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Ministry of Culture was established in two thousand twenty-one to form a Joint Commission. Since then, these ministries have collectively assessed and approved all projects eligible for funding.

Through this coordinated effort, the Spanish Government reaffirms its commitment to the preservation of hydraulic heritage, acknowledging its symbolic and identity significance for society. The Old Bridge or Santa Catalina Bridge is a medieval structure with origins tracing back to a Roman foundation, and its recent damage coincides with heightened river flow due to several storms in March two thousand twenty-five.