The Ministry of Education, Culture and Universities and the City of Totana are undertaking the restoration of the altarpiece of the Shrine of Santa Eulalia, which will restore the original splendor of one of the most outstanding works of the eighteenth century in the Region of Murcia, as reported sources of regional government in a statement.
The Minister of Education, Culture and Universities, Pedro Antonio Sánchez, and the mayor of the municipality, Isabel Maria Sanchez, today visited the work being done under the direction of the Center for Restoration of the Region of Murcia and which will recover the gilt and polychrome original, plus clean up the damage sustained by the passage of time.
"The conservation of the artistic heritage of the region has always been one of the priority concerns of cultural action of the Ministry, as can be seen in this performance at the Altar of the Sanctuary of Santa Eulalia," said Pedro Antonio Sánchez.
Specifically, since the month of January is acting in this work, attributed to retablista Jerome Caballero and dated in the eighteenth century and is declared as a Cultural Monument with character.
Following a previous study that showed damage were analyzed, the scaffolding was placed and proceeded to the graphic and photographic documentation of the whole.
Subsequently, analytical samples of the different areas were performed altar materials.
The work plan also includes previous protection by special role and treatment of wooden support with cleaning, disinfection, consolidation of support under the cracks and fissures and replacement of parts.
The last phase involves the treatment of gilt and polychrome in various stages such as surface cleaning, removal of physical-chemical provisional protection, consolidation, cleaning, coating gaps, chromatic reintegration and final protective layer.
All these works, in addition to the direction and supervision of Restoration Center of the Ministry of Culture, following the criteria established by the various agencies of international entity on intervention and restoration of works of art.
The action in the altarpiece of Santa Eulalia has a budget of 72,600 euros and a duration of two months work.
Altarpiece of Santa Eulalia
The altarpiece of Santa Eulalia was made about the first third of XVIIII century.
It is a work of carved, painted and gilded pine linked to Jerome Caballero (1668-1751).
The structure of the altarpiece due to traces traditional and popular in the early eighteenth Baroque, where the profusion of plant elements opulent size harmonizes with the inclusion of architectural, such as pilasters and balustrades, purely decorative function supports.
The colors in blue and gold tones, and the incorporation of highly significant iconographic elements, like angels young men carrying shields of the Villas of Aledo and Totana, the image of the Crucified and the Dove of the Holy Spirit, make a magnificent work from which it is visually accessible to the contemplation of the Holy across the bow of the car.
