Man Who Discovered Renaissance Church Facade Hidden in His House to Receive €1 M. Reward

When Juan Francisco León Catena bought an old house in southern Spain, he expected that a planned renovation would incur costs. What he came to learn was that a Renaissance church facade was hidden behind the walls—and that it came with a reward worth more than €1 million ($1.2 million).

The discovery dates to November 2016, when León Catena and his father began tearing down interior walls in a property he’d purchased in Úbeda, a historic town in Andalusia that, together with neighboring Baeza, was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. Behind the plaster and partitions, they found an enormous stone facade measuring roughly 49 feet wide and 36 feet tall.

The stonework turned out to be part of the chapel of the former Hospital of San Jorge, also known as the Hospital of Pero Almindes, which was founded in 1347. The surviving facade includes Renaissance additions attributed to Andrés de Vandelvira, the 16th-century architect responsible for some of the region’s most celebrated buildings.

According to El País, heritage officials who examined the discovery praised its remarkable state of preservation and artistic value, describing it as a rare example of Renaissance funerary chapel architecture.

The discovery also brought León Catena’s renovation plans to a halt. Under Spanish heritage law, the facade is protected, meaning any alterations to the property are subject to strict restrictions. But the same legislation, passed in 1985, also provides financial rewards for people who accidentally discover historically significant objects or structures during construction or demolition work.

Getting that reward proved more complicated than finding the facade.

The regional government initially refused to pay, setting off a legal battle that dragged on for years. Spain’s Supreme Court has now settled the dispute in León Catena’s favor. Now, nearly a decade after the discovery, an Andalusian government valuation committee has determined that León is entitled to more than €1 million. He has yet to receive the money.

The monument itself, meanwhile, remains in limbo. León Catena has been negotiating with local officials over a plan to expose the facade to the street, allowing residents and tourists to see it. In exchange, he has proposed that the city cover the cost of renovating the four-story building.

But time may be running out. A conservation report commissioned by the regional government warned that leaking roofs in adjoining municipal properties have caused water damage, rotting wooden beams, and mold. The deterioration, officials said, could eventually lead to a structural collapse.

“Every month that passes without action increases the concern,” León Catena told El País, adding that the authorities have been warned about the risks but have yet to agree on a solution.

For now, the facade is cordoned off, essentially as it was when León Catena discovered it in 2016. He and his family, who had originally hoped to make the building their home, have since moved into another building on the same street.

“Too much time has passed,” León Catena said. His priority now, he added, is to make the long-hidden monument accessible to the public.