The Franciscan Community of Lucena has launched a request for financial assistance for the restoration of the lower cloister of its conventan emblematic place of the city which is in an alarming state of degradation.
As explained yesterday Father Antonio Herrerathe initial intention was to carry out a simple intervention to reaffirm the plinth, but this became more complicated as deeper damage was discovered.
When the technicians arrive They identified that the problem could be undergroundwith water leaks which caused the sidewalk to swell and the slabs to break. Furthermore, the delay by undertaking the works brought in recent months the progressive collapse of part of the covering of the wallsleaving the original adobe exposed and endangering the tiled murals with Franciscan scenes covering them.
Thus, part of the walls were removed for security reasons, but other areas are still at risk of collapse“which represents a danger for those who visit the convent,” added the guardian father, who adds that, in this situation, “the technicians recommended not repairing the plinths without first remedying the leaks.”
Solidarity demonstration this weekend
He cost of the the intervention amounts to more than 80,000 eurosof which around 20,000 have already been raised thanks to private donations. The community requested help from various institutions, including the Lucena City Hall and the Provincial Council.
He the convent is not a parishbut command propertyit therefore does not benefit from the direct support of the Bishopric, whose priority is the parish churches of the city. If help comesthe intention of the convent is execute THE work in a single phase. To mobilize more resources, the Franciscan Fraternity of Lucena and other community groups held a solidarity rally this weekend.
