Baria Campaign Photos
Property developers recently secured the legal right to construct 24 holiday homes over the unexcavated remains of the Phoenician city of Baria. The Unidos por Baria (United for Baria) association is leading local resistance to this disastrous construction project, and the campaign has attracted widespread media coverage in Spain.
The vital, beautiful, and extensive archaeological zone containing the remains of Phoenician Baria in the present-day village of Villaricos was declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC) in 2005. This should guarantee the highest level of protection, but a legal technicality and allegations of vested interests have allowed a private company to secure the rights to build in one essential sector of the site.
The Unidos por Baria association has produced a detailed AI-generated image of how Baria may have looked during its peak between the seventh and fifth centuries BC. This visual reconstruction highlights the setting and scale of the Phoenician city, one of the most significant archaeological sites in the southern Iberian Peninsula.
A view of the entrance to one of Baria’s most ancient underground burial chambers, or hypogea. Probably dating back to the seventh century BC, these chambers served as resting places for families over generations.
The Unidos por Baria association is supported by its members, as well as 17 other associations and entities. The association's website encourages more people to support the campaign, join the cause, and share information about its clear, firm belief that "Baria cannot be buried under concrete."
Unidos por Baria