When a Spanish man decided to make an overhaul of his house, it ended in a once-in-a-lifetime discovery.

Juan Francisco León in front of a part of the facade he discovered in his house. Image credit: Alberto Román

When Juan Francisco León Catena, a resident of the Spanish city of Ubeda, decided to renovate his house, the works didn’t last too long. Behind the first wall he safely demolished, he found a bas-relief from the Renaissance. Yes, you’ve read that right.

“We started with the attic, the first place where we discovered it and then, floor by floor, they began to appear throughout its entire length”, Juan explained to the website Sputnik Mundo. “It wasn’t something small, but an 11-meter tall structure.”

Juan immediately smelled there was something different about the building, so he decided to contact a company specializing in historical heritage. Through them, he discovered that what he had found was part of the facade of the old Church of the Blessed Sacrament of Ubeda, built in 1347 (and authorized by the Pope himself at the time).

In addition to the incredible discovery, Juan was also aware that this situation should earn him a bonus since, according to the Law of Historic Heritage in the Spanish constitution, a cash reward for any accidental archaeological find is to be paid out to the finder.

Needless to say, Juan immediately reported his find to the municipality. He didn’t like the response though: the renovation of the house had to be suspended immediately.

Image credit: Juan Francisco León Catena

After four years of legal struggles, the owner is still waiting for his award and for the end of archaeological explorations on the structure, so he can turn it into something “everyone can enjoy”, like “a restaurant or apartment building”.

“We were told not to touch anything and we did. Everything remains as it was on the day of its discovery.”

So, don’t touch, just enjoy!