ARCHIVED - Restoration work on Caravaca de la Cruz Basilica nearly completed
The Basilica de la Vera Cruz contains the relic which has made Caravaca one of only five Holy Cities in Spain
The extensive works undertaken during the last year to restore the original splendor of the façade of the Basilica de la Vera Cruz in Caravaca de la Cruz, in the north-west of the Murcia region are nearing completion.
The Basilica is home to the reliquary of the Cross of Caravaca which contains splinters of wood (lignum crucis) said to be from the Cross of Christ and gifted to the city by the Vatican following the controversial theft of the original splinters and murder of the parish priest during the Spanish Civil War (click to read the full story).
Caravaca City Council originally embarked on a less ambitious project, but once the work had begun and the true picture of what was beneath the grime started to emerge, decided to expand the project and its budget to introduce another cleaning method that has eliminated the whitish layer of the interventions made in 1990s.
The project has finally cost 255,000 euros, of which about 100,000 were contributed by the City Council and the balance paid for through the 1.5% Cultural Program of the Ministry of Development.
In addition to cleaning to recover the polychrome, structural damage has been repaired and the characteristic stone and marble elements that decorate the façade have been restored
Image: Ayto. Caravaca de la Cruz