The Board of the Royal Alcázar has begun the comprehensive restoration of the sculptural ensemble of the Mercury Pond, an exceptional piece of Spanish Renaissance created between 1576 and 1577.
The Royal Alcázar of Seville has initiated the comprehensive restoration of the sculptural ensemble that presides over the Mercury Pond, one of the most singular works of the Spanish Renaissance. The intervention, driven by the Board of the monument, aims to ensure the conservation of this gilded bronze ensemble, considered one of the most outstanding in Europe.
The project is directed by managing director Ana Jáuregui, who coordinates a multidisciplinary team of restorers, art historians, and scientific specialists. The work was executed between 1576 and 1577 by the sculptor Diego de Pesquera, who created the models, and the founder Bartolomé Morel. For nearly 450 years, it has presided over one of the most emblematic spaces in the gardens of the Alcázar, symbolising the prosperity of imperial Seville linked to trade with America.
The ensemble is an exceptional example of the lost-wax casting technique and mercury gilding. It represents one of the most relevant testimonies of the Sevillian tradition of bronze work and is practically unique in Spanish heritage, where few monumental ensembles of this nature prior to the 19th century have survived.
The delegate of Finance and vice president of the Board of the Royal Alcázar, Juan Bueno, has described the restoration as a strategic action to protect one of the greatest heritage treasures of Seville and Spain. “Our commitment is to conserve this legacy with the utmost scientific rigor so that it can be enjoyed by future generations,” he stated.
Bueno added that the Mercury ensemble not only has extraordinary artistic value but also represents a fundamental moment in the history of Seville, when the city was the great economic and cultural centre of the Western world. “We are talking about an exceptional work whose conservation requires adopting the best technical solutions available,” he emphasised.
The restoration is being undertaken following scientific studies conducted in recent years, which have revealed an advanced deterioration process caused by more than four centuries of permanent exposure to humidity, pond water, and environmental variations. Analyses have identified active corrosion processes due to the presence of chlorides, known as “bronze disease,” progressive loss of the original gilding due to inadequate historical cleanings, and natural erosion.
Ancient interventions with incompatible materials and a significant accumulation of calcareous crusts and dirt that obscured much of the sculptural details have also been detected. Following a preventive disassembly carried out in 2023, the Board deemed it essential to undertake a comprehensive restoration to recover the artistic reading of the ensemble and, above all, to halt the degradation processes that jeopardised its conservation.
The intervention follows international principles of heritage conservation: minimal intervention, reversibility, and maximum respect for the authenticity of the work. Among the planned actions is the chemical stabilization of the bronze through the controlled removal of chlorides and other harmful salts. There will also be cleaning of the surfaces, consolidation of the gilding layers, and reintegration of the gaps with reversible materials.
The process includes exhaustive documentation of each phase, with photographic records and scientific analyses that will allow monitoring of the condition of the work. The restoration team works in a workshop set up within the Alcázar itself, ensuring controlled environmental conditions and avoiding risks during the transport of the pieces.
The restoration of the Mercury Pond is part of a broader conservation plan for the Royal Alcázar, which includes other actions in its gardens and historic rooms. The Board expects the work to last several months, although no specific completion date has been set. Once completed, the sculptural ensemble will return to its original location, restoring the pond's Renaissance splendour.
For visitors to the Alcázar, the area of the Mercury Pond will remain accessible during the works, although the sculptural ensemble will be removed until the restoration is finished. The Board has announced that informative panels will be installed to explain the work and the historical importance of the piece.
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