If Xàbia is characterized by something more than its coves, it is for its spectacular landscape, in which the stone stands out Tosca; a calcareous sandstone rock formed from beach dunes about one hundred thousand years ago. This porous stone, with a soft structure and honey color, looks like a symbol of Xàbia in houses and monuments, but with time, it disappears.
Customs are changing, modern buildings put aside traditions, which makes the rough stone disappear from buildings, and new technologies replace professions of yesteryear. Among these changes is the well-known profession of 'Tosquero' o 'Picapedrer' (stonecutter). A traditional trade in our area and whose days are numbered.
Pepe Signes, manager of Artosca and Tosquero for more than 40 years, he continued from a young age with the tradition of part of his family, and gave continuity to a third generation of this profession, "But in about 5 or 6 years, when I retire, it will end up disappearing."
On the one hand, their children have not wanted to continue with the trade and, on the other, the lack of demand for this type of construction, as well "such as the failure to promote this work by the administrations. The profession has diminished due to political and economic interest"According to Signes, it has caused those who have dedicated themselves to it not to continue and that in a short period of time it is forgotten.
Pepe points out that an operator needs about five years of training to learn this trade, "And no type of school or workshop has been promoted for this traditional profession. Now it is too late to recover this tradition. The existing schools in the Balearic Islands and Catalonia have also experienced difficult times due to the lack of people prepared and interested in this art.
And is that, our protagonist today describes this job as 'artisan artist' since with the modeling of the stone block, true works of art are created. The office of rough We can say that it is similar to that of a sculptor, with the particularity of knowing which are the appropriate tools to give shape, manually and delicately, to the rough piece and that it is carved to transform it according to the client's requirements, "It is a creative work that is now attributed to Fine Arts, but that they will not be able to elaborate due to lack of knowledge when it comes to sculpting".
Specifically, many of the monuments of Xàbia attest to the importance of the profession of 'tosquero' in Valencian lands. Decorative elements in houses and civil buildings, sculptures, monasteries and churches are a sample of this hard, ancient and artisan work.
The Church of San Bartolomé, a symbol
Now, the value of this work will remain in the memory thanks to the recent remodeling of the Church of St. Bartholomew in which the architect of this project, Salvador Vila, has opted to recover the local tradition and have the master craftsmen of Xàbia. "It was a joy to receive the proposal to work for the reform of several elements of one of the most important monuments in Xàbia, that of the Church of San Bartolomé", indicates Pepe.
The last works carried out on this monument by this Tosquero from Xàbia and that will remain in the memory are the gargoyles, the pointed window of the southern part of the Church, an embrasure, as well as the recreation of the battlements and the wall of the Sacristy.
Undoubtedly, the hard work with a file, square, mallet and chisel will be left aside, but the job of tosquero that in the past was essential for your daily buildings will not be forgotten.
javea will stop being a little javea. but the tosca will remain in its landscape. a shame
So bad.
Meanwhile they continue to fill everything with white cubes ...
But this is urban work added to the law of supply and demand.
If urban planning respects the landscape and construction, the rough will continue to be in demand.
There is much more than municipal income to maintain the identity of a town and, I'm sorry, but Jávea, in terms of coastal protection, urban planning, ecology and garbage, would take the prize for the worst efforts.
Much crying, but little demand from the City Council It's a shame.