The Generalitat will directly undertake the restoration work at Cal Macià, located in Vallmanya, municipality of Alcarràs, and will claim the costs from the owner. The property, declared a national heritage asset, is in a state of advanced decay due to decades of neglect, with collapsed roof sections and walls.
The house, where significant decisions for Catalonia's contemporary history were made, including the preparation of the Prats de Molló plot and the founding of Estat Català, was declared a national heritage asset in 2025.
The popular initiative Salvem Cal Macià (Save Cal Macià) has met the announcement with skepticism, accusing the Generalitat of seeking headlines and lacking effective action. Spokesperson Ferran Dalmau believes the administrative procedures are merely to justify themselves to the prosecutor's office, as the owner has not been fined nor has any physical work begun.
The platform recalls that they requested subsidiary execution five years ago and criticizes the slowness of the Department of Culture, fearing the intervention may come too late. Dalmau also denounces the lack of dialogue with the department, which refuses to meet with the group.
The Department of Culture has taken over the management previously handled by the Alcarràs City Council, including owner requisitions and negotiations for a potential sale. The owner has reportedly asked for around 250,000 euros or land in exchange, a proposal that has not yet been finalized.
This marks the third attempt to purchase Cal Macià in over three decades, following municipal offers in the nineties and a preliminary agreement in 2019.
An ongoing investigation by the prosecutor's office, initiated by a complaint from Salvem Cal Macià, is examining whether the city council and the Generalitat have failed in their duty to preserve the protected property. The platform argues that legislation already permitted direct intervention by the administrations.
Cal Macià, a construction of Carthusian origin from the 17th century, belonged to the family of Eugènia Lamarca, wife of Francesc Macià, and played a significant role in his family and political life.
