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The statue of the famous explorer of new lands, Christopher Columbus, once again overlooks the port of Cartagena, after regaining its position on the sea wall. Yesterday, the scaffolding which has recently been surrounding the marble statue, created by the artist Juan Sanmartín y Serra, was removed.

 

The statue has been relocated and restored countless times in the past 100 years in which it has been standing. Recently, the sculpture was vandalised when it was covered in red paint. After this incident, the City Council of Cartagena decided that the statue needed to be restored in order to bring back to life its original elegance and grandeur.

 

Over the past few weeks, a team of two specialist stone restorers from the fine arts department have removed all the dirt and the limestone patina that had once been added to the sculptor. The original marble and its appearance have therefore since been recovered and all the cracks that could have possibly weakened the monument have been repaired and secured.

 

The work has been concluded with the application of a final product that protects the statue from the weather conditions on the coast, such as sea water and rain. The work that has now been completed has allowed the people of Cartagena to discover details they previously would never have seen, such as the details of the locks of hair, the collar of the shirt, the cuffs of the cloak, the decoration of the sword that remains hidden under the cloak, and signature of the sculptor.

 

 

Image: Ayuntamiento de Cartagena