Los Descalzos church

Écija, Sevilla, Andalucía.

Dating of the building: 16th century.

Applicant: Fernando Mendoza Castells.

Reason for the award :

For the magnificent restoration that rescued this Baroque church from abandon, its relics, liturgical heritage, altars, and organ, also contributing to revitalizing its urban environment, by promoting the use of the recovered monument both for religious and cultural purposes.

The church of Los Descalzos had been closed for thirty years, hiding its exuberant interior richness of stucco work, which makes it one of the best examples of Seville’s Baroque.

Although it has one of the most important Baroque interiors in the province of Seville, the Limpia Concepción de Nuestra Señora Church, popularly known as Los Descalzos Church, has been closed for 30 years. The intervention, which took place between 2006 and 2009, has been fully funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Andalusia Regional Government. In the words of Fernando Mendoza, renowned architect director of the project, the state of the church was deplorable, which forced a comprehensive restoration of the complex, including its movable treasures. The church was in danger of ruin, and the works had to solve structural foundation problems, such as cracks in the walls, semi-ruined roofs, and shattered flooring. Parallel to the restoration of walls, floors, and ornamentation, the valuable collection of altarpieces, the main altarpiece, the Mudejar carpentry, the grills, the wooden lattices, and the liturgical furnishings have been restored.

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