The Parish of San Sebastián in Alcalá de Guadaíra has begun the restoration of its work 'Santo Cristo de Burgos', a 17th-century oil painting, thanks to municipal aid for movable heritage assets.
The restoration of the painting of the Holy Christ of Burgos, owned by the Parish of San Sebastián in Alcalá de Guadaíra, is progressing well in the workshop of local restorer Alejandro Redondo. The work, funded by municipal aid promoted by the Department of Culture, Heritage and Museums, will restore the splendour of a 17th-century painting that had suffered severe deterioration.
An Integral Intervention to Save the Work
The painting, an oil on linen canvas stretched over a Flemish pine frame, is dateable to the second half of the 17th century. It was placed on the walls of the parish in the mid-20th century when the temple was rebuilt after the Civil War. Over the years, dirt, losses of support, and previous interventions had almost completely obscured its artistic value.
The restorer Victoria Fernández is responsible for carrying out the process, which includes consolidating the support, cleaning the paint layer, and reintegrating the lost colour. As explained by the Culture Delegate, Christopher Rivas, during his visit to the workshop, the aim is to “recover all its original splendour” through an intervention that addresses the issues comprehensively, from the frame to the finishes.
Municipal Aid Mobilising Private Investment
This restoration is part of the municipal aid programme for the recovery of movable heritage assets, which co-finances projects alongside the owners. In this case, the Parish of San Sebastián has contributed part of the budget, while the Alcalá de Guadaíra City Council covers the rest. The goal is to encourage private investment in conservation and restore works that would otherwise be abandoned.
Additionally, the Department of Culture has launched the Preventive Conservation Cycle, in collaboration with the Council of Brotherhoods and Cofradías of Alcalá. This initiative has an educational purpose: to teach citizens the importance of conservation to avoid the need for restoration. “Bringing citizens closer to the value of conservation to avoid restoration,” Rivas emphasised, highlighting the shared commitment between institutions, owners, and brotherhoods to preserve local heritage.
A Legacy That Comes Back to Life
The work of Christ of Burgos is one of the few Baroque paintings preserved in the parishes of Alcalá de Guadaíra. Its recovery not only returns a key piece to the local artistic heritage but also allows residents and visitors to enjoy a work that has gone unnoticed for decades. The restoration work, which will take several months, includes the removal of overpaints and the chromatic reintegration of lost areas.
The Culture Delegate reminded that “preserving and disseminating heritage is an essential part of our collective identity.” Once the restoration is completed, the painting will be rehung in the Parish of San Sebastián, where it can be admired by the faithful and art lovers. Meanwhile, those who wish to learn about the process can visit Alejandro Redondo's workshop, where Victoria Fernández works in view of the public on certain open days.
The initiative demonstrates that, with collaboration between the public and private sectors, it is possible to rescue artistic treasures that seemed lost. For the residents of Alcalá, this restoration represents a unique opportunity to rediscover a part of their history that had, until now, remained hidden under dust and the passage of time.
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