The Ministry of Education, Culture and Universities and the City of Totana have restored the Altarpiece of the sanctuary of Santa Eulalia of this town, which already today has been enjoyed in all its glory for residents and visitors coinciding with the procession of transfer of the image of the Virgin from the church of St. James to his hermitage.
Following completion of the tasks of recovery one of the most outstanding works of the eighteenth century in the region, the Minister, Pedro Antonio Sánchez, and the Mayor of Totana, Isabel Maria Sanchez, checked the result of the work, directed by responsible for the Restoration Center of the Region of Murcia, which involves an investment of 72,600 euros.
"We have recovered for all citizens splendor of this magnificent altarpiece, which totaneros and the Region of Murcia are proud. We continue to work from Culture with municipalities in the recovery and enhancement of heritage as a hallmark and motor generator employment, "said Pedro Antonio Sánchez.
The work done in the altarpiece of Santa Eulalia have recovered the gold and original polychrome, plus clean up the damage sustained by the passage of time.
The work attributed to retablista Jerome Caballero and dated in the eighteenth century, 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.
After this phase, they took analytical samples from different areas of materials out of the altarpiece.
The work plan also included 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 consisted in treating the gold and polychrome with a surface cleaning, removal of temporary protection, consolidation, physico-chemical cleaning, grouting gaps, and chromatic reintegration and the implementation of the final protective layer .
All these works, in addition to the direction and supervision of the Restoration Center of the Ministry of Culture, followed the criteria established by the various agencies of international entity on intervention and restoration of works of art.
Characteristics
The altarpiece of Santa Eulalia was made about the first third of the eighteenth century.
It is a work of carved, painted and gilded pine linked to Jerome Caballero (1668-1751).
The structure of the altarpiece due to traditional trace and Baroque vogue at the beginning of the eighteenth century, in which the profusion of plant size opulent elements harmonize with the inclusion of architectural, such as balusters stipes and supports;
purely decorative function.
The colors in blue and gold tones, and the incorporation of 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, form a unique work from which is visually accessible to the contemplation of the Holy across the bow of the car.
