The Cristo del Consuelo, one of the most representative images of Cieza's devotional heritage, is completing its comprehensive restoration at the Murcia Region Restoration Center (CRRM), part of the Ministry of Tourism, Youth, and Sports.
The sculpture is one of the finest national examples of so-called "light sculpture," made with materials such as cardboard to facilitate its use in processions and liturgical events. Its restoration not only responds to technical conservation criteria, "but also to the profound symbolic and emotional value the image holds for Cieza," noted Patricio Sánchez, Director General of Cultural Heritage.
This intervention, respectful of its original nature, will allow the image to be ready to participate in the Grand Procession organized by the Diocese of Cartagena on November 15th to commemorate the Holy Year of Hope.
After its restoration, the work will take center stage in the religious procession that will march through the streets of Murcia, alongside other images that have also passed through the center's workshops in recent years. Notable among these are the Virgin of Sorrows from Águilas, the Christ of Hope from Murcia, the Risen Christ from Cartagena, and the Virgin of Hope from Calasparra.
This event will highlight "the work carried out by the CRRM in preserving regional cultural heritage, in collaboration with brotherhoods, parishes, and organizations that safeguard these pieces so significant to the local identity," said Patricio Sánchez.
The Magna Procession will offer an exceptional opportunity to contemplate, in all its splendor, a sculptural ensemble of great artistic and religious value, with works by Murcian or Murcia-based artists such as Francisco Salzillo, Roque López, Sánchez Lozano, González Moreno, and Hernández Navarro.
