La Massana Councillors Rescue Bronze Sculpture and Ceramic Mural from Fire-Damaged Arinsal Bottling Plant

La Massana councillors have secured both the bronze sculpture *L'Excursionista* and a major ceramic mural by the late artist Sergi Mas from the fire-damaged Arinsal bottling plant, confirming their survival amid demolition works and the artist's death on Tuesday at age 95.

Councillors Eva Sansa and Roger Fité spotted the 110cm-tall bronze sculpture during a Wednesday night visit as the fire raged. Commissioned in 1989 by plant founders Antoni Ubach and Josep Miño, and cast in 1990 at Reus's Ginfer foundry using lost-wax casting, the piece shows a mid-20th-century hiker drinking from an Arinsal water bottle. Mounted on a bronze plinth over a megalith at the base of stairs between two main buildings, it was removed Thursday afternoon with firefighters' assistance and a backhoe, before partial demolition began. Temporarily stored at the Serradora site, it was relocated Friday morning to a communal warehouse near the consuls' offices. Owned by site holder Causes Pies, which leases to Aigua Pura, its future location awaits decision.

On Friday morning, Sansa led a team including firefighters, police, and a maintenance worker who provided access via a side door key to "sala 13"—also called the "sala del mural"—in the office building. Visible through street-facing arched windows, the 15m-wide by 4m-high mural depicts water's path from Arinsal mountain streams through bottling, distribution via truck, and consumption by people in restaurants, on mountainsides, and during cycling events. It features local peaks, the hiker motif, and the brand slogan "Com més alta, més pura". The group first viewed it through a door hole, then entered briefly after checks confirmed no structural risks. Sansa noted its near-perfect state, with dislodged tiles predating the fire. "We're very pleased the mural remains as it was, with some damaged pieces that were already like that pre-fire," she said. Learning of Mas's death during the visit, she added: "Today is a sad day, but seeing the work intact while we got the news brought comfort—it's the best homage we can offer."

Judicial approval from the investigating magistrate is required for the mural's extraction, built during late-1980s expansions as a reception area. Initial concerns about its survival proved unfounded. A smaller *L'Excursionista* replica graces a Bixessarri fountain, drawing from a Sant Julià spring design and once given to VIP clients, reflecting Mas's recurring water-nature themes.

The blaze at the long-closed, recently renovated facility caused millions in damage, gutting a symbolic site with an on-site museum of vintage bottles, photos, and delivery vehicles that once served Andorran homes, restaurants, and hotels. Roof beams in the mural room appear stable pending full checks, with the commune seeking immediate preservation measures. No other significant heritage items have been reported recovered.