The works were directed by the restaurateur Antonio García Rico and allowed to strengthen its structure, recover the original gold, and improve the electrical system to guarantee its long-term preservation.
It had the collaboration of the Paso Azul Foundation and is a new step in the recovery and value of Lorquino Coprade Heritage, as it dates back to 1940.
Fulgencio Gil, Mayor: «Preserving heritage is one of the priorities for the Lorca government, and thanks to actions like this, we ensure that the municipality remains a reference in sacred art and in enhancing our traditions.»
March 26, 2025. The Mayor of Lorca, Fulgencio Gil Jódar, has delivered this Wednesday to the President of the Brotherhood of Laborers, Paso Azul, Miguel Ángel Peña, two candlesticks of this Brotherhood Dolores, after the restoration work carried out in the municipal restoration workshop and directed by the restaurateur, sculptor, and professor Antonio García Rico.
Fulgencio Gil explained that the Lorca government maintains a firm commitment to the conservation of the historical and cultural heritage of the city, hence the restoration of these pieces that were part of the first throne for the current image of the Virgin of Sorrows, the work of sculptor José Capuz in 1942. After disappearing during the Civil War, the throne conceived by Francisco Cayuela, the Brotherhood made a new one for the Virgin’s processions.
The Virgin of Sorrows remained on this throne until Good Friday in 1949. At that time, the throne was used for the image of Mary Magdalene, and later paraded alone with the crossed guide, one of the oldest elements of the Blue Procession. Through this intervention, which restored its original splendor to the candlesticks, initially designed to carry wax candles, later adapted with an external installation for electric lamps. It had the collaboration of the Municipal Council and the Paso Azul Foundation and is a new step in the recovery and value of the Lorquino Heritage.
The Mayor of Lorca emphasized the importance of this restoration, stating that «Lorca is a city with exceptional heritage, and its preservation is an absolute priority for the municipal government. The Holy Week of Lorca is much more than just religious holidays; it is an event of international significance, an artistic manifestation, and a unique statement that can be enjoyed and admired by future generations.»
The restored candlesticks, in the Baroque style, made during the 1940s, and of gilded wood with old gold leaf, presented a significant state of deterioration, with cracks, structural misalignments in the arms, loss of volume, and deterioration of the gold surface due to an old external electrical installation. The intervention involved removing this installation and nails that fixed it, opening bays and holes to place a new wiring that is safer and respectful of the piece, strengthening the different elements of the arms, sealing the cracks with organic lines, and reintegrating the gilding that ends in the old gold leaf finish. Finally, a brightness protection was applied to the lake to ensure long-term preservation, and new tulips and electrical mechanisms were installed.
«The Lorca government will continue to invest in the restoration and protection of Lorquino heritage because we understand that our cultural heritage is one of our greatest assets. Holy Week is an intangible asset that we must continue to promote, not only as an expression of fervor and tradition but also as a tradition. Jómar Gil.
The Mayor also noted that this intervention is part of broader actions to recover the heritage related to Holy Week carried out by the Local Development Department, with restorations already done such as the Happy Christ of the Purple Passage, an old crown of the Resurrection of Jesus, and a variant of the arch theme. Other pieces of the architect that will be subjected to Jesus, who has risen, or other pieces that will be subject to a Banner, which will be subjected to a Banner, which will be subjected to a Banner, which will be subjected to a Banner, which will be subjected to a Banner, which will be subjected in the coming months. «Our will is to continue working in the hands of the brotherhood to talk about our sacred art and to ensure that the splendor of our Holy Week remains intact and continues to amaze the world, as it has done for centuries,» he concluded.
Deja una respuesta