The Brotherhood of the Virgin of the Eagle recovers the base designed by Antonio Illanes, with municipal aid and the intervention of restorer Jorge Anillo.
The base of the altar of the Virgin of the Eagle, designed by Antonio Illanes Rodríguez, is being restored in Alcalá de Guadaíra thanks to municipal aid for the recovery of movable heritage assets. The work, directed by restorer Jorge Anillo Rodrigo, aims to halt the advanced deterioration of a piece that barely allowed appreciation of its artistic value.
The delegate for Culture, Heritage and Museums, Christopher Rivas, visited the piece in the Sanctuary, where it remains on display due to the festivities of the Virgin of the Eagle, to learn firsthand about the details of the process. As he explained, the intervention will allow this sculptural work to regain all its original splendour.
The base was originally conceived as a processional base for the passage of Our Lady of the Eagle, replacing the previous one, which disappeared during the events of 1936. The clay sketch is by Antonio Illanes, who also created the image of the Virgin, while the wooden carving and gilding were carried out by Manuel Guzmán Bejarano and Manuel Calvo in 1971.
Over time, the piece ceased to be used in procession and began to serve as an altar base, forming a set with the neo-Gothic altarpiece from 1910 and the current one, installed in 2025 after the previous one fell into disrepair. It features a large eagle that spreads its wings to support the image of the Virgin on its back, with hieratic yet naturalistic traits.
The restoration is considered an urgent intervention. A thorough study of the stability of the support will be conducted, as it shows signs of incipient instability that could lead to irreversible alterations. All layers of polychromy will also be fixed to prevent disintegration and loss, exacerbated by intense liturgical use and previous interventions.
This action is part of the municipal aid programme for the recovery of movable assets, which co-finances restoration and conservation projects. It also complements the Preventive Conservation Cycle promoted by the Culture delegation in collaboration with the Council of Brotherhoods and Cofradías of Alcalá, aimed at raising public awareness of the value of conservation to avoid the need for restoration.
Christopher Rivas emphasised “the shared commitment among owners, institutions and brotherhoods to preserve and disseminate heritage as an essential part of our collective identity.” The base will remain on display in the Sanctuary during the festivities, and once the work is completed, it will return to its function of supporting the image in the main altarpiece.
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