Por Redaccion 
The City Council of Benidorm is going to incorporate part of the legacy of the priest Luis Duart i Alabarta into the municipal heritage. He served as parish priest of Sant Jaume i Santa Anna from October 1950 until his passing on January 3, 1983. His pastoral work was accompanied by extensive research and study on the archaeology and local history of Benidorm. The Councilor for Historical and Cultural Heritage, Ana Pellicer, will present a motion to the council on the following Monday, coinciding with the International Day of Archaeology, to accept the donation of part of this legacy from one of his heirs, his niece María de los Desamparados Biosca Mora, Amparito, who has owned this material since the priest’s passing. She now donates it to the City Council «with the desire for it to become part of the historical heritage of our city and to showcase the pastoral work, research, and love for archaeology that accompanied Luis Duart throughout his life,» as stated in the motion.
Both the mayor of the city, Toni Pérez, and the Councilor for Historical Heritage have publicly thanked Amparito for this donation, which will allow our city to incorporate invaluable archaeological pieces, as well as sentimental ones. The mayor emphasized that «many residents of Benidorm still remember Luis studying our archaeological site at Tossal de La Cala, researching to uncover its history, or seeking information about Mare de Déu or the Carta de Poblament, and participating in key moments in the development of Benidorm. Part of all this is present in this legacy that we are incorporating for the heritage of all Benidorm residents and future generations.»
Among the donated pieces, three Roman amphorae from the Tossal de la Cala archaeological site stand out. These have been cataloged by archaeologist Miguel Botella, establishing their origin between the late third century BC and the early second century AD, crafted in workshops in the Strait of Gibraltar and the area of influence of the city of Tarraco.
Additionally, Ana Pellicer detailed that aside from these amphorae, Amparito Biosca is also donating 16 manuscripts of historical works by the priest and historian, giving his name to the room that houses the permanent exhibition at the Boca del Calvari Museum. Also included are 71 personal photographs, typewritten sheets on various subjects (History, Botany, Religion, Medicine), newspaper clippings and magazine articles related to his professional and historical activities, 30 numismatic specialty magazines, 192 books on historical and religious themes, and eight handwritten notebooks. All of this, like the amphorae, «will now be cataloged and inventoried by qualified personnel, to be subsequently added to the documentary collection of the Municipal Archive and the museum collection of Benidorm,» explained the councilor.
«This way, all the material will be available to researchers, allowing them to showcase and appreciate these assets and bringing our historical and cultural heritage closer to the people of Benidorm and visitors to the city,» she added.
Commitment to Recover and Preserve Heritage
The responsible for Historical and Cultural Heritage recalled that in the last decade, the Municipal Archive has significantly increased its documentary and heritage assets through donations from individuals who have entrusted their belongings to the Benidorm City Council, given the rigorous work of cataloging, preservation, and valorization being carried out by the local entity.
«In parallel to these donations, the City Council has also managed to incorporate its museum collection into the Valencian Museum System, giving it its own entity with a compilation of over 500 municipal-owned pieces dating from the Neolithic period to the early last century,» she added. Among these pieces are those previously contributed by Luis Duart i Alabarta, now joined by those from this donation.
Ana Pellicer emphasized that «the legacy of Luis Duart is the result of the immense documentary and fieldwork he carried out in our locality for decades» and stated that with this work, «he brought to light a very important part of our history that we partly know thanks to him.»