The church of San Bartolomé draws attention for its history and for the heritage it treasures, although, also, for the cracks that run through the interior of the temple. To erase the image of chips and fissures that dot the walls and vaults, and that also reach the murals that Muñoz Barberán painted, the parish already has a rehabilitation project valued at 350,000 euros.
The intervention, designed by the architect Juan de Dios de la Hoz, aims to address the humidity problems (due to leaks from the roofs and the water that rises from the subsoil) that drags the construction and that are behind the “major pathologies” that present the walls and interior finishes. The works are pending the approval of the technicians of the regional Historical Heritage service (since the building is classified as an Asset of Cultural Interest) and the appropriate municipal license.
In the parish they trust that the work can begin next summer. In fact, the preparations have already started looking for alternative locations for the rich imagery of the temple. Thus, the set of the Virgen de las Angustias, the work of Francisco Salzillo and which is kept in the Servitas chapel, has been transferred to the church of Jesus, where it will remain while the work lasts. And now it is managed to take the steps of the brotherhood of the Holy Sepulchre, which also has its headquarters in San Bartolomé, to the Museum of Blood, in the neighborhood of Carmen. Other carvings will be deposited in dependencies of the parish itself in order to prevent them from suffering any type of damage.
As De la Hoz explains to LA VERDAD, the project provides for the restoration of the interior finishes and the roofs on the Epistle side (on the right, as you enter the temple). Work will also be carried out on the humidity present in the plinths and the upper left corner of the transept, and the cracks that dot the presbytery and the central dome will be sewn up. Taking advantage of these works, they want to undertake the pre-installation of a new lighting and air conditioning system. The architect points out that in the recovery traditional techniques and materials will be used, such as wood, lime, plaster and brick.
The most striking damage affects the interior decoration, which has almost completely disappeared in several areas. The frescoes painted by the Murcian artist Muñoz Barberán (1921-2007) and the Malaga muralist Pío Augusto Verdú (1914-1989) in the 1960s have not escaped the damage. They are religious scenes about the life of Saint Bartholomew and the sacrament of the Eucharist. The recovery of these works will be a highly complex job for restorers due to the degree of deterioration they present. «In some points all the pictorial layers have been lifted; microcracks and mineral salts also appear”, says Javier Lérida Molina, who with Isabel Sánchez Prieto will be in charge of the rehabilitation of the murals. Due to the state of degradation, they consider resorting to archive photographs of the original works in order to be able to replicate them. Both have already worked at the Jerónimos Monastery at UCAM, and the new challenge is “a privilege and satisfaction” for them.
While the works last, whose execution period will not be known until the companies present their offers, the temple will remain closed, although the cults will continue in a room attached to the parish. The architect is confident that the work will provide new information about the property and the works of art it contains. The church of San Bartolomé is one of the historic parishes in the old town of Murcia. Here, for example, the Count of Floridablanca was baptized. Built on a mosque, it has undergone important changes since the 17th century.
The activity of the parish will continue in an annex room
The temple of San Bartolomé-Santa María will close due to rehabilitation works, but the activity of the parish will continue as usual. Roberto Burgos, the priest in charge of the temple, explains that, while the work lasts, attention to the parishioners will be maintained in the sacristy, and religious services will be held in some rooms attached to the church. Burgos indicates that the works will be paid for with contributions from parishioners and with help from the Bishopric. However, he makes an appeal to all those who want to make donations. Two decades ago, consolidation works were already undertaken in the temple. This time the interior rehabilitation will be addressed. The restoration of the cover, the work of Justo Millán, from the end of the 19th century, will remain for a future project.
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