Seven niches worship Sant Roc in Gràcia (Barcelona), though solely 4 of them keep the determine in honor of the legendary Barcelonan, who fell ailing with the plague throughout a go to to the town. However, the Carrer Llibertat competition committee has found that his sculpture just isn’t the unique carving from 1856, however a replica that may date from the 50s of the final century.
Its restoration made it potential to find that the picture was not the unique resulting from its polychromy, in order that they noticed that it was “inconceivable” for it to be from the nineteenth century. The alarms went off because it was not signed by any writer and the determine could be from 1950, in line with the fee’s hypotheses.
The picture of Sant Roc dates from the 12 months 1865 and through these 158 years the residents themselves have taken cost of the care and upkeep of the determine and the area of interest. “We consider that somebody may have stored the unique for worry of being destroyed, because of the social conflicts that passed off in Barcelona through the Second Republic and the Civil War, though it is also vandalized,” explains Toni Mañané, president of the fee for the Carrer Llibertat events, who doesn’t know “how the story continues” if somebody saved it.
Restoration Sant RocTaller Avall
“Most probably, individuals removed it as a result of it was harmful to have spiritual photos at house,” provides Toni concerning the unique Sant Roc, whose origin is unknown.
Now, the Avall de Reus restoration workshop has taken cost of sprucing the determine, consolidating its polychromy. A change that the residents will see in particular person for the primary time this Sunday at Corpus Christi in Barcelona, in a celebration that can culminate at 2:00 p.m. when the determine is positioned in its area of interest.
“It is part of the historical past of the neighborhood and we can not destroy it,” acknowledges Toni. Sant Roc is credited with defending the residents towards the outbreak of plague that occurred within the metropolis in 1583. “They positioned seven chapels with the cholera epidemic, yellow and Spanish flu. At that point there was no sewage system and the individuals entrusted themselves to to the saint, who was well-known for combating these illnesses”.
A polychrome wood determine, which in its chapel hides a ritual that has change into a convention since 1960. “One of the road associates would put a 25 or 50 pesetas coin with the picture of Franco dealing with down as a type of humiliation of the dictator. With democracy we’ve one among 20 cents, minted the identical 12 months that the final Festa Mayor prize was gained, in 2018.”
“If it stays up, issues are going properly, as they’ve been lately. But if for some motive the celebration goes badly as a result of there’s a very low prize, it turns round.”
Last 12 months the entity achieved that this and the remainder of the niches within the neighborhood have been declared components of Protection of the Fabric of Interest. As a part of the Corpus actions promoted by the Barcelona City Council, the Llibertat road competition committee will produce, for the third consecutive 12 months, a floral carpet, which this 12 months will likely be devoted to a guild of decorators.
Topics