Worst ever botch job? Ancient castle restorer comes under fire

Locals and conservationists are up in arms about the restoration of a historic castle in Spain after photos revealed it with concrete modern walls.

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Some have gone as far as to call it a 'heritage massacre."

The El Castillo de Matrera, which dates back to the ninth century, was declared a national monument in 1949. It had recently deteriorated due to severe rains and so restoration work was organised.

Architect Carlos Quevedo was put in charge of the restoration project. He told the Guardian that his goal was "...to shore up unstable elements, bring back the scale and tone of the original building and differentiate new additions from the original structure."

But criticisms of this work began pouring in when photos were released showing smooth, modern-looking walls built behind the crumbling brick facade.

One man told the local news channel: "They've got builders in rather than restorers and, as we say around here, they've cocked it up."

The project has promoted comparisons with the attempt to a restore a 19th century Ecce Homo fresco of Jesus Christ by an elderly Christian woman in 2012 (see the video below).