Santiago Varela Botella

Santiago Varela Botella was born in Alicante, Spain, in 1948. He is an architect with a PhD in Architecture. His professional career has been based primarily in the province of Alicante, combining architectural practice with historical research and teaching. He is a member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Carlos in Valencia and the Academia del Partal.

Since 1979, he has held various positions related to architectural heritage conservation. He worked as an architect for the Artistic Heritage Technical Inspectorate of the Valencian Regional Government in the province of Alicante until his retirement in 2017. He also served as honorary conservator of the Cathedral of El Salvador in Orihuela.

His architectural interventions include the restoration of the Alicante Municipal Historical Archive, in collaboration with Màrius Bevià; the Governor's House in Nueva Tabarca; Atalaya Castle in Villena; La Calahorra in Elche; the bell tower of the church in Mutxamel; and several projects at the Co-Cathedral of San Nicolás in Alicante and Orihuela Cathedral. He has also collaborated with architect Santiago Varela Rizo on the restoration of Torre Grossa and Casa Rovira, the latter converted into a public library, both in Jijona.

His research focuses on the history of architecture and urban planning in Alicante and the Valencian Community. His publications include Guía de Arquitectura de Alacant (1980), co-authored with Joan Calduch Cervera, and Alicante: Ciudad y arquitectura (1994), written with Màrius Bevià. Other works include Arquitecturas en la provincia de Alicante (1986), Arquitectura residencial en la huerta de Alicante (1995) and Los barrios de viviendas en Alicante y provincia, 1940–1970 (1998). In 2014, he published La arquitectura de Enrique Sánchez Sedeño y el modernismo en Alicante.

He has been a guest lecturer at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, the University of Valencia and the University of Alicante, and has participated in conferences and seminars on architectural history and heritage conservation.

In 2015, he received the CICOP International Award for Professional Achievement in Cultural Heritage Conservation.