The regional government of the Extremadura has invested €40,000 in restoring a ceramic wall in the church in Vegaviana The work depicts the Crucifixion of Christ and is located in the church apse. The news agency Europa Press reported on the work on 15 November, citing information from the regional government.
The investment was overseen by the Directorate-General for Cultural and Documentary Heritage. According to the regional government, the artwork is part of the movable cultural heritage under its jurisdiction. The regional centre for the conservation and restoration of cultural assets led the work. The published information does not say when the work began or was completed.
The depiction occupies the inner corner of the triangular end of the church. Glazed ceramic tiles in black, grey and violet form the background. In front stands a figure of Christ in fired clay on an iron cross. Mary and John appear at the sides as glazed reliefs. The ensemble is by the Spanish sculptor José Luis Sánchez Fernández, who also designed the church’s stained-glass windows.
Before the restoration, according to the regional government, the ceramic substrate and glaze, as well as the fixing system, were all damaged. Some tiles had darkened unevenly; there were also stains, colour variations and losses of glaze. Dust and moisture had affected the surface. The regional government said the restoration centre had addressed this damage. The statement does not describe individual methods in detail.
Vegaviana is in the province of Cáceres in western Spain. The settlement was established as an agricultural colony during the Franco dictatorship. Its agricultural policy aimed, among other things, to turn dry farmland into irrigated areas. The architect José Luis Fernández del Amo designed the settlement, combining homes and public buildings with squares and open spaces.
Built in 1958, the church stands on a central square. Its interior combines architecture and the visual arts: alongside the Crucifixion and the stained-glass windows, it includes ceramic works by other artists, among other features. In 2014, proceedings were initiated to seek protected historic-ensemble status for Vegaviana and its associated school chapels. The initiation of proceedings alone does not establish that they were subsequently completed.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).