The Department of Culture continues its project to rehabilitate the sculptural heritage of Ciudad Real, and the turn has already arrived for one of the best-known works with the greatest sentimental value for the inhabitants of Ciudad Real, such as the tomb of Apolonia, in the capital’s cemetery, a sculpture by Tomás Argüello dating from 1916.
The first work, carried out by the company Conservatio, made it possible to discover a part of the tomb which was buried and which is in a very good state of conservation, as reported by the Town Hall in a press release.
“As bad as the cover was, what we saw and which is the main object of restoration, in the previous works, almost archaeological, we were pleasantly surprised that it was very complete and well maintained by the land itself protected. over these years, which leads us to believe that the restoration is going to be brilliant”, declared the the mayor, Francisco Cañizares, who visited the tomb accompanied by the councilor for Culture, Pedro Lozano, and for Popular Festivals and Traditions, Fátima de la Flor.
Giuliana Medda, from Conservatiodetailed the work in progress and the elements brought to light. “The facade and the side have been excavated and it appears complete and very well preserved thanks to the earth which protected it. The face of the Virgin appeared on the front, on the side a complete medallion with the inscription “Thy will be done”, and there is also the complete base, and now the manufacturing technique can be better observed.
Once the restoration work begins, the municipality also considers the best options for its preservation for the future, and in this sense, the possibility of locating it in a new place where it can be visited and observed more easily is not excluded. .
“We will think about where could be the best or if it stays where it is, we will see what the possibilities are to make it as bright as possible and not interfere with that element that is going to stand out. a little compared to the rest of the tombs located nearby. We will look for the best solution and also a fundamental thing, preserving it for the future,” said Francisco Cañizares.
Besides the tomb of Apollonia, The Department of Culture is also undertaking the restoration of four other works in the city. These are the Cruz de los Casados and “La Primavera” by Jerónimo López Salazar, both located in the Gasset Park, the statue of the Virgin and Child of the Plazoleta de Santa María and the sculpture of San Vicente de Paul, in the district of Los Angeles.
