The historical heritage of Ponferrada is still immersed in its improvement and conservation processes. This is the Mozarabic Church of Santo Tomás de las Ollas, which after two months of restoration received the completion of the works this Tuesday, in an appointment attended by the various public administrations, including that of the Church. Thus, this building, declared BIC in 1931, already benefits from several improvements, on the facade, the roofs, the bell tower, and the interior coatings. Conservation works that were presented on September 22, with the help of the territorial delegate of the Junta de León, Ester Muñoz, which did not exceed € 30,000.
The Mozarabic art of the region It will continue to live with the conservation works of the Church of Santo Tomás de las Ollas, which, after two months of work, was received this Tuesday. This historical space for the heritage of Ponferrada It has completed its restoration process with an investment of €27,074, thus being able to perpetuate this vestige of the history of El Bierzo, and avoid deterioration that could put it in danger. A meeting which had representatives of the various public administrations, such as the city council of Ponferrada, the Junta de Castilla y León, the bishopric of Astorga and the current president of the neighborhood council of Santo Tomás, Carlos Fernández. In addition, part of the entity in charge of said work was also present.
Specifically, restoration work has been carried out in facade, where “a cleaning of the entire perimeter of the facade was carried out, eliminating the grout of stones in poor condition and the existing vegetation on the wall as well as the vegetation nearby. The masonry has been grouted with a waterproof motard of the same color as that existing in the rest of the exterior enclosures, currently the difference is noticeable which will fade over time. A protective layer has been applied to the surface of the facade (up to a height of 110 cm), using water-repellent varnishes that prevent the penetration of water and humidity through the enclosure itself inside the building”. point it technical data to which this media has had access.
With regard to the conservation tasks carried out in the covers, It should be noted thate “the main area of action was the roof of the sacristy, but work was carried out in an area above the central nave because after an examination a leak was located in this area which was repaired, without changing the support structure.In the sacristy, the complete replacement of the slate coating was finally chosen, its scratches and the waterproofing sheet, placing it with its respective overlaps between the sheets and at the meeting with the wall”, explain the reports of the works, adding that “the poor execution has been confirmed in the previous works by not having correctly placed and fixed the waterproofing sheet, especially in its encounters with the wall, having moved or simply being poorly mounted between the slates. We see on the second photo, that at the end of the roof, the waterproofing sheet does not reach the end of the roof, at this time it leaks into the sacristy”.
Regarding work on the roofs “A better intervention was carried out than that initially proposed in the project, by changing the sheet proposed by a breathable sheet at the request of the bishopric itself. A new batten was placed, leaving a front air chamber and a new plank to nail the slate. In addition, the perimeter finishes have been made, fixing them by means of adhesive to the vertical wall. of the wall and executing a new continuous skirt that will protect the waterproofing from climate action”.
On the other hand, regarding to interior coatings“the interior walls of the ship were brushed because, although at first it was proposed to chip them, they were carried out different tastings and it has been verified that its condition is good and that its chopping and replacement would not imply any “additional” improvement, in the Sacristy if the complete sanitization of all the walls and their subsequent plastering and painting. This is how a new slate paving was placed, after having cut all the existing mortar paving”, informs the technical data.
Finally, the bell tower of the Church of Santo Tomás de las Ollas, required “a series of interventions” for which “the bell was restored, with improvements in its rotation system”. In this line, the president of the Neighborhood Council of this Ponferradina location, Carlos Fernández, affirms that “on behalf of the Neighborhood Council, we are very satisfied with the works that have been carried out, thank the Junta de Castilla y León for sponsoring this work. We are happy with the company that performed them. There are still a few things left, painting problems, let’s see if the District Council can lend a hand, and therefore row it out”.
Beginning of the restoration works of the Church of Santo Tomás de las Ollas for €30,000
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