Priest paints over 300-year-old frescoes

A priest has sparked fury after he determined to spruce up his parish church by portray over 300-year-old frescoes that had been granted listed heritage standing. 

Priest Hector Lunar innocently needed to repaint the partitions of the St Anthony of Padua church within the Teneriffe city of El Tanque forward of Holy Week.

Little did he know that his minor renovation would spark outrage in the area people because the frescoes in his parish church are greater than 300 years outdated and have been given protected standing in 2011.

The regional authorities of the Canary islands even launched an investigation after Lunar employed staff to strip and repaint the inside partitions of the church.

The frescoes had been beforehand twenty years in the past, after they had been lined with a protecting paint on high to preserve them. 

A priest has sparked fury after he determined to spruce up his parish church by portray over 300-year-old frescoes that had been granted listed heritage standing (pictured: contractors at work to color over the frescoes)

Priest Hector Lunar innocently needed to repaint the partitions of the church of St Anthony of Padua within the Teneriffe city of El Tanque forward of Holy Week

Little did he know that his minor renovation would spark outrage in the area people because the frescoes in his parish church (pictured) are 300 years outdated and have been given protected standing in 2011

The regional authorities of the Canary islands even launched an investigation after Lunar employed staff to strip and repaint the inside partitions of the church. The frescoes had been beforehand twenty years in the past, after they had been lined with a protecting paint on high to preserve them

The church itself was constructed within the sixteenth century however burned to the bottom in 1706 throughout a volcanic eruption. It was later rebuilt within the 18th century.

Lunar – who is claimed to have fled his residence nation of Venezuela in 2022 after he criticised the president Nicolas Maduro and was threatened for it – apologised for his mishap and claimed he did not know in regards to the protected standing of the frescoes.

‘No one advised me about it. All I needed to do was add one other coat of paint to that little bit of the church to get it prepared for Holy Week occasions,’ he advised native newspaper El Dia.  

He added that he solely simply came upon in regards to the church having listed heritage standing, which suggests for any works on the constructing he ought to have consulted the regional authorities.

‘If they should punish me, they need to punish me,’ he advised the paper. ‘My mistake was not having knowledgeable myself in regards to the riches of the church of St Anthony of Padua. 

‘I’d wish to apologise to the authorities and the non secular neighborhood of El Tanque. My intention wasn’t to trigger any harm once I started efforts to enhance the church. I’m very sorry.’ 

Lunar – who is claimed to have fled his residence nation of Venezuela after he criticised the regime of president Nicolas Maduro and was threatened for it – apologised for his mishap and claimed he did not know in regards to the protected standing of the frescoes

While priest’s apology was accepted by the native non secular group, who had referred to as for him to get replaced, they nonetheless expressed confusion over why Lunar hadn’t identified in regards to the protected standing in regards to the frescoes

While priest’s apology was accepted by the native non secular group, who had referred to as for him to get replaced, they nonetheless expressed confusion over why Lunar hadn’t identified in regards to the protected standing in regards to the frescoes and why he did not examine earlier than ordering for them to be painted over.

Local mayor Esther Morales additionally accepted his apology. She mentioned she hoped that every part may go ‘again to regular as quickly as doable’ and that the frescoes may very well be repaired.

Local restoration consultants are presently inspecting the painted-over partitions to find out whether or not the frescoes will be saved. 

Many in contrast Lunar portray over the frescoes to different damaging novice restorations throughout Spain. 

Back in 2012, a well-meaning octogenarian surprised artwork consultants in Zaragoza, Spain, after taking it upon herself to revive a non secular fresco – with distinctly amateurish outcomes. 

Elias Garcia Martinez’s ‘Ecce Homo’ had adorned the wall of the Sanctuary of Mercy Church in Zaragoza, Spain for over 120 years. 

When moisture broken the floor of the non secular fresco, Cecilia Gimenez took it upon herself to revive the treasured art work – with out consulting the authorities on the church in southern Spain.

She simply marched in with oil paint and brush and began work on her personal non-public restoration venture.

Back in 2012, a well-meaning octogenarian surprised artwork consultants in Zaragoza, Spain, after taking it upon herself to revive a non secular fresco – with distinctly amateurish outcomes (left the unique, centre the moisture-damaged fresco and proper the amateurish restoration)

To add to the final embarrassment, a neighborhood Catholic cultural basis, the Centre for Borjanos, had simply obtained a donation from the granddaughter of the artist which it was about to spend on returning the fresco to its former glory.

A spokesman for the centre mentioned on the time: ‘The worth of the unique work was not very excessive nevertheless it was extra of a sentimental worth.

‘The girl, who’s in her 80s, apparently considers herself to be an artist. She acted with out authorisation from anybody.

‘The church is at all times open as a result of many individuals go to and though there’s a guard, nobody realised what she was doing till she had completed.’