The vice-mayor of Silves, Luísa Conduto, told Lusa that the financing for the project is guaranteed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), with funds that were earmarked for the restoration of the walls of the Islamic Almedina.

According to the mayor, due to the RRP's rescheduling, the two million euros earmarked for the wall renovation "were channelled" to Silves Cathedral through an inter-administrative contract signed with the government.

In May of this year, as part of the PRR reprogramming, €1.2 million was allocated to the Silves Cathedral, while €2.2 million earmarked for the walls and Almedina Gate in that Algarve municipality was withdrawn.

According to the announcement of the procedure, published today in the Official Gazette, the project involves restoring the roofs and facades of the Gothic-style monument, built from 1268 during the reign of Alfonso III.

According to the document, the work includes treating and repairing artistic metal parts showing active corrosion, protecting the masonry and stonework attachments with resin, repairing the weather vane with a cross at the top of the bell tower, and restoring the stone clock.

The work also includes restoring the iron frames of the stained-glass windows and wooden exterior doors, and repairing plaster on walls in areas where it is damaged.

The conservation and restoration work "must be carried out" in accordance with the Special Technical Conditions (CTE), by conservators-restorers and conservation and restoration technicians, according to the specifications.

The CTE establishes the technical and quality requirements that must be followed during the execution of the work.

The tender runs until September 12th, with the contract procedure having a base value of 1.5 million euros and a completion period of 240 days.