The Santuario del Saliente is to undergo a major transformation and, after months of work, the artist Andrés García Ibáñez will be in charge of the decoration of the temple.
The artist’s connection with the Saliente is due to his roots, as his family comes from Albox and other artists of the family have passed through the Sanctuary, who have left their mark there.
«The temple was never decorated. Now we are going to imagine what that decoration would have been like and try to do it with our own means,» says Andrés garcía Ibáñez, who for months has been climbing a 20 metre high scaffolding, painting from 8am to 2pm and from 4pm to 7pm, every day of the week including Saturdays and Sundays.
After being unanimously accepted by the Heritage Commission of the Junta de Andalucía without any objections, the artist began his work on 1 March. The first phase of the decoration consists of the frescoes in the dome and the three apses, where a programme of images based on the Apocalypse will be developed.
The dome (70 metres high), which has already been completed, depicts chapter 4 of the Apocalypse. Chapter 5 will be depicted in the central apse, and in the side apses, the Last Judgement. However, according to the artist, he wants to give it «an optimistic touch».
After receiving the commission from the Bishopric, Andrés García Ibáñez told La Comarca Noticias that he felt «privileged to be able to carry out this work; it is a very important commission for me, because my ancestors are here and because I have the feeling that I have to leave something important for my people, for those who are not here and for those who are here».
More than 20 days have passed since the painting work began on the interior of the Santuario del Saliente, and it is not yet known when it will be finished, since, as he assures us, «it is a long job that takes months of work».
