In Úbeda, Spain, the country’s Supreme Court has finally recognized a resident’s right to receive a prize for the discovery of a Renaissance portico . The discovery was made in 2016, when Juan Francisco León Catena bought a multi-story house to renovate.

One afternoon, he and his father began to carry out work to see where they could begin the renovation, removing the tiles and the outer covering of the walls. Then they noticed that behind one of the walls there was a huge Renaissance portico. It was later discovered that it had been built in the 16th century as an old hospital.

“We started with the attic, the first place where we discovered it, and then, floor by floor, it appeared in its entirety,” its discoverer explained to Sputnik Mundo, adding that the portico is 11 meters high in total.

Juan Francisco chose not to remain silent – ​​as did the former tenants who walled up the monument – ​​and act legally, informing the authorities: “I have fulfilled my obligation as a citizen.”

However, the Ministry of Culture initially refused to grant the prize given to anyone who makes a valuable discovery of this kind. Since then, Juan Francisco has spent four years fighting in court to have his rights recognized.

Finally, the Supreme Court of Spain has recognized the authorship of the discovery of an object of great historical value. “I have never won any prize, so this is completely new to me,” he confesses.

The portico is part of the façade of the old church of the Blessed Sacrament of the hospital of the same name, founded in 1347.

As Juan Francisco explains to Sputnik, this portico has a niche where the custody was kept. “For this niche to be made in the façade of a monument facing outwards, the Pope of the time had to give his permission, because, as far as we know, there is no door in Spain that has a niche of the Blessed Sacrament facing outwards, except this one.”

“The house is exactly as it was when we discovered it. They told us we shouldn’t touch anything and we did. Everything remains as it was on the day it was discovered,” adds the owner of the house, whose construction work has been halted while awaiting an architectural project.