The Association for the Conservation of the Heritage of the Huerta de Murcia (Huermur) received a notification from the Ombudsman in which it communicates that it agrees to initiate an investigation into the actions of the Ministry of Culture due to its abnormal functioning in the protection of cultural assets. Specifically, the investigation studies the lack of initiation of the protection file as an Asset Listed for its Cultural Relevance of the one known as Cristo de Zalamea, Cristo de la Escalera or Cristo del Hospital.
This sculpture, currently preserved in the Reina Sofía hospital in Murcia, comes from the old San Juan de Dios Hospital in the city of Murcia, a health institution that, over the centuries and depending on different public entities, was the center of attention sanitary located in the historic center of the city, in different departments and locations on the urban front next to the Segura River.
Huermur requested cultural protection for this heritage asset more than a year ago, but the autonomous Administration, instead of responding within the three-month period established by current legislation, quadrupled the maximum time without initiating the due file, with the consequent legal uncertainty and leaving the work in limbo in terms of its express and effective protection. The entity indicates that it repeatedly demanded that the Ministry and the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage send to the Official Gazette of the Region of Murcia the recognition of the initiation, “the only currently possible option given that the aforementioned period of three months had elapsed.” Culture to study the request, after which it is initiated by positive administrative silence.
Given the lack of response from both the Ministry and the General Directorate, as well as the repeated complaints and writings, Huermur found it necessary to raise the corresponding complaint to the Ombudsman who, as commissioner of the Cortes Generales, monitors the functioning of the different administrations and public departments, also in the Region. In response to Huermur's complaint, the Ombudsman has opened an investigation into the “abnormal functioning” of Culture, requesting information from this institution about the processing of the file and the protection of the Cristo de Zalamea.
Huermur denounces the “laziness”
For the association, this is an “example of the apathy prevailing in the Díaz Cassou House, headquarters of the departments in charge of protecting and monitoring the cultural heritage of all Murcians.” The entity points out that “it is not acceptable that, time and again, citizens have to be the ones who go to the Ombudsman or Justice so that cultural heritage is properly protected, while Culture piles up files in its drawers, for months and even years.
The entity does not rule out taking all possible avenues so that this file, as well as others referring to artistic works, are recognized and sent to the Borm to begin processing. The Christ of Zalamea is a unique sculpture guarded over the centuries in the different buildings that have succeeded the secular hospital of San Juan de Dios in Murcia. Located on a staircase of the old healthcare center in the historic center, it has also preserved this name referring to its location.
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