The dome of the Renaissance church of La Vera Cruz in Valladolid sinks | Culture

The dome of the Vera Cruz church in Valladolid collapsed this Tuesday morning. The temple, an emblem of the Renaissance, built in 1581, had been undergoing rehabilitation works for weeks in its highest part due to humidity that threatened the integrity of that dome. The Junta de Castilla y León, through the Ministry of Culture, had allocated 150,000 euros for the execution of these works. Inside the church, closed to the public, were the workers in charge of the work. No one has been injured, although the collapse entails significant heritage damage given the value of the complex and the carvings and altarpieces that are in Vera Cruz and that must also be attended to.

The information was provided by The North of Castile. The religious site is located on the central Platerías street and some of the processions of the highest artistic quality and religious respect during Holy Week in Valladolid depart from the church. The damaged church belongs to the penitential brotherhood of Santa Vera Cruz, the oldest brotherhood in Valladolid. Spokespersons for the Ministry of Culture indicate that the brotherhood requested the work and confirm that the Board, through the Housing area, had approved the funds.

The architect of the project, Fernando de Bonrostro, has pointed out to the press the “very bad conditions” of the dome, with horizontal cracks that anticipated collapse: “It has fallen plumb inside the church, we had warned the Brotherhood that it could happen.” ”. The secretary of the Brotherhood, Beatriz Tovar, regretted the events and was grateful for the “miracle” that the workers did not suffer physical harm. “We have seen how the church is, the dome and the dome have fallen and it is all full of rubble, although the images are fine, sheltered under the niches,” she added.

The scaffolding had been deployed since last May to improve the condition of the roof and dome of the temple, which had been suffering for years from humidity and leaks that compromised the strength of the temple. The objective was to conclude them at the end of July and allow Vera Cruz to recover its usual activity and image. The work, as stated in the aforementioned media, aimed to “retil the roof, seal the dome and consolidate the two belfries that face the main façade.”

From there come steps like that of The little donkey on Palm Sunday. Inside it there are pieces by the prestigious Renaissance sculptor Gregorio Fernández, such as parts of some altarpieces, the Christ tied to a column and an Ecce Homo by the same author, common in processions through the streets of Valladolid and highly protected to avoid deterioration. Sources from the Penitential Brotherhood indicate that the material damage has yet to be evaluated, although in a first study “they do not seem important either.” The Police have sealed off the surrounding area due to the risk of new collapses. Brotherly sources assure that they are considering moving some images to nearby churches such as The Anguish o San Miguel to protect them from the rain that is beginning to fall in Valladolid and that, without the protection of the dome, can affect altarpieces and other ornaments inside the temple.