The Diputación de Cuenca has put the restoration of the Virgen de la Zarza in Cañete completed. According to the provincial administration, it is a freestanding wooden sculpture of the Romanesque, dated to the late 12th or early 13th century and considered one of the outstanding medieval works of art in the Province of Cuenca The aim of the work was to safeguard the 16th-century paintwork while also preserving remnants of the original medieval polychromy .
The conservation team cleaned the surface, consolidated the wooden support and stabilised loose layers of pigment. Intervention was kept to a minimum to respect the legibility of the later overpainting and avoid obscuring older layers of paint. The work was funded by the Diputación de Cuenca; the technical documentation includes condition records, photographic sequences and recommendations for climate control at the storage location.
The sculpture is located in the Ermita de la Virgen de la Zarza in Cañete and plays a central role in local religious devotion and festival culture. Following completion of the work, it remains in the care of the municipality, which, according to the authorities, is responsible for its day-to-day protection and use in a religious context. The provincial administration has stressed the importance of controlled lighting, stable humidity and regular condition checks to prevent future material loss.
The Diputación de Cuenca justifies its approach on professional grounds by invoking the principle of minimal intervention: the Baroque or early modern paintwork should be preserved as a historical component, alongside any identifiable older, original paint layers. This assessment is based on layer analyses carried out during the work. No specific details were given about future exhibition formats or loans; any presentations will be decided by the relevant church and municipal authorities.
With the restoration now complete, Cuenca province is strengthening the protection of a key part of its historical and artistic heritage. The work forms part of longer-running efforts to safeguard sacred art in rural communities across Castilla-La Mancha For the residents of Cañete, it means the conservation of an object central to local identity, which can also be further studied by researchers.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).