Conservation of Nineteenth Century Wall Paintings- Church in Colmenar de Oreja in the province of Madrid Spain

 Project Directors: Viviana Dominguez - Guillermo Urbano

Santa Maria la Mayor is the main church of a small sixteenth century town in the outskirts of Madrid, Spain. Ulpiano Checa, a well-known nineteenth century artist, painted three 27' x 23' murals in the church depicting San Cristobal and two scenes of the Virgin Mary's life. During the Spanish Civil War, when the stone church was take over by Francisco Franco 's army and turned it into a weapons and munitions storage, the murals were vandalized and the Sand Crinsboal mural was half burned during an attack. In 2007, as part of the churche's restoration, Vivana Dominguez co-directed a team to conserve the three murals under a grant for the Municipality of Madrid.