Restoration manager in charge reveals that reviving the Macarena for its devotees is a complicated endeavor
The restoration of the Esperanza Macarena statue in Seville has been the subject of debate due to a series of interventions carried out in a short period. Pedro Manzano, the restoration expert leading the project, attributes the three interventions to "nervousness."
The controversy stems from the perception that the restorations prioritized aesthetic updates over preserving traditional authenticity, which is sensitive given the statue’s religious and cultural importance in Seville. The Esperanza Macarena's image carries a devotional charge, and the repeated restorations have caused discontent among some devotees who feel that the final appearance is altered, describing it as a kind of "aesthetic surgery" that changed the beloved image they had venerated.
The restoration process is a complex job, involving comprehensive restoration and medical image studies, specifically computed tomography. The main objective of this new restoration is to recover the expression of the image. Pedro Manzano and his team of 15 people are working diligently to ensure the image can be displayed for veneration on its onomastica day, the 18th of December.
The controversy surrounding the restoration of the Macarena's image remains unexplained by anyone. One of the problems determined by the scientific studies applied is the thickening of the upper eyelids. The Sevillian restoration of the Esperanza Macarena's image has caused discontent among some devotees, who are eagerly awaiting to see the face of the Blessed Virgin once again.
This text has been supervised by Jesús Jiménez, and Adrián Masa de Vega, a student of the Double Degree in Journalism and Humanities at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, has contributed to its elaboration. The cabildo approved a new restoration by Pedro Manzano, aiming to address the concerns of the community and restore the image to its original state.
The ongoing debate revolves around the perceived alteration of the Esperanza Macarena's image, with some viewing it as an average departure from traditional authenticity. This aesthetic change, juxtaposed with the statue's religious and cultural significance, has sparked a desire for cultural-travel to witness the restored statue, as devotees eagerly await the opportunity to travel and compare the new image with the original.
