Spain removes remains of 11th-century kings from monastery as wildfire rages
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A video screengrab showing rescuers taking away the bones of three kings from a monastery threatened by a wildfire in the south-western province of Aragon.
PHOTO: AFP
- Spanish authorities removed the remains of three 11th century Aragon kings from the San Juan de la Pena monastery to protect them from a nearby wildfire.
- A rescue team also retrieved ceremonial clothing and historical paintings before the flames approached, praised for their bravery by regional officials.
- The wildfire has burned over 9,000 hectares, forced evacuations of 16 towns, and worsened amid high temperatures and strong winds; a larger fire in southern Spain also caused major evacuations.
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BARCELONA – Spanish authorities on Aug 14 removed the remains of three kings who ruled the Aragon region in the 11th century from a monastery threatened by a wildfire.
Their remains were taken to the provincial museum of Huesca, located 80km south of the monastery, for their protection until conditions improve, said the north-eastern region’s vice-president Mar Vaquero.
After the wildfire that had been raging since Aug 10 began moving towards the 10th-century San Juan de la Pena monastery late on Aug 13, concern that it could be engulfed by flames prompted the authorities to launch a rescue operation, Vaquero told reporters.
An emergency military unit team managed to enter the monastery, located in a mountain range, and take ceremonial clothing belonging to an 18th-century count buried there, before the proximity of the flames forced them to flee.
The team returned a second time, accompanied by police officers and heritage officials, and removed the remains of the first three kings of Aragon – who ruled between 1035 and 1104 – from a pantheon within the monastery, as well as some historical paintings.
Vaquero praised the bravery of the rescue team.
The wildfire had intensified earlier on Aug 13, fuelled by higher temperatures and strong winds. It has burned more than 9,000ha and forced the evacuation of 16 towns, although the monastery remained unharmed on the morning of Aug 14.
In southern Spain, a much larger wildfire also worsened on Aug 13. It has so far burned 31,000ha in the province of Huelva and forced the evacuation of around 700 people. REUTERS
