The most revered image of the Barcelona cathedral, the Santo Cristo de Lepanto, is no longer black. The conservation and restoration process to which it has been subjected has revealed a figure of rich colors, "remarking the passion of Jesus", declared the dean of the cathedral, Santiago Bueno.
When it was discovered that the image could recover its last polychromy, from the end of the 19th century when she still had fair skin, the chapter decided to carry out this process, which has been carried out with relative ease.
This afternoon the first religious act will be held in which the parishioners will be able to contemplate the result of this restoration. The Holy Christ of Lepanto was present in that battle, presiding over the galley of Don Juan de Austria, and hence his name.
Its unique tilted position is attributed to two possible events that occurred in that battle against the Ottoman Empire. One indicates that the image was tilted to avoid a cannon shot, and the other points to Christ's gesture of covering with his body a hole in the hull of the galley, produced by a cannon shot.
The bearers of the brotherhood of Santo Cristo de Lepanto have already been able to contemplate the result of the restoration. After the initial surprise, they have welcomed the new image with joy.
The teams of the restorer of the Barcelona cathedral, Ana Ordóñez, worked on the restoration; the conservator-restorer of the Furniture Restoration Center of Catalonia, Esther Gual; and the cathedral's intangible heritage technician, Neil Rider.
