Breaking the last part of the secret compartment free, she let out the breath that she had been holding in. She tried to calm herself down so that she could work with a steady hand. This may be the biggest moment of her career.
Source: Relatively Interesting
There was no doubt that she was about to reveal something big that could affect what the world knows about Spanish history. And she could not believe that she found it in the rear end of a statue of Jesus Christ.
Another ordinary day at work
The Jesus Christ statue, “Cristo del Miserere,” of the Church of Santa Agueda in Sotillo de la Ribera, Spain, needed restoration. The crucified image of Jesus was showing visible cracks and was coming loose from its cross.
Source: Relatively Interesting
Experienced art restorer, Gemma Ramirez, was assigned to do the job. She had no idea that she was about to have an unforgettable day – after all, it is not every day that you get to discover something of historical value.
A sacred place
When Gemma and her team arrived at the church, she really felt that she was in a sacred place and as they made their way through the aisle, she could almost feel like she was going back in time.
Source: Relatively Interesting
Gemma was no stranger to this. Her experience as an art restorer allowed her to see private and spiritual places that not everyone can access. She also had the privilege of working on numerous ancient artifacts.
She was one of the best
But Gemma felt that this old church was different. There was just something off about the place. Gemma decided to shake off the strange feeling and decided to focus on the statue she came for. Her team had to safely retrieve it and transfer it to their lab.
Source: Relatively Interesting
The Cristo del Miserere was clearly a piece of art that needed help. The 18th-century wooden statue had suffered damages that only the Madrid-based art restoration company Da Vinci Restauro could fix. Gemma was one of the company’s best art restorers.
A tough job
Gemma could tell that it has been a while since the statue got some care. It was dirty, cracked, and rusted. Gemma told her team that this was going to be a tough job and hoped that they were up to it. They made sure that the statue was transported safely.
Source: Relatively Interesting
Back in the lab, Gemma did a thorough inspection of the old wooden statue. Her team started taking notes as she mentioned the specific areas and details on the statue that needed attention and what kind of care each one would need.
Deja vu
Gemma turned the statue over when she loses her grip. Fortunately, she was able to steady it in time. She could feel her heart racing at the moment. She breathed in deeply and started to recover. She could not believe she almost ruined this ancient statue.
Source: Relatively Interesting
Then, she started to brush the dust away from the artwork. Gemma sneezes and her sneeze echoes through the room. And just like that, Gemma realized why she felt strange upon entering the church. Her sneeze had triggered a memory.
She was there before
When Gemma was younger, her grandmother took her to attend mass in this church. She had to be brought out sometime in the middle of the service because she kept sneezing and it was interrupting the mass.
Source: Relatively Interesting
Gemma smiled and shared the memory with her colleagues. They all agreed that entering the church was like entering another time. It was always nice to have places like those now that the modern world is too noisy and busy.
An odd crack
As Gemma worked and reminisced, she discovered a large crack on the back part of the statue. It was a long and odd crack that went around the rear of the statue. Gemma told the team to focus on that area so that she could inspect it more thoroughly.
Source: Relatively Interesting
Gemma had her suspicions that it was a hidden compartment. Once cleaned, they realized that Gemma was right. She decided to look through the crack and realized that there was something inside the statue.
Something hidden
Gemma braced herself. She knew better than to get excited right away. It could be an insect infestation. This happens often when it comes to wooden artifacts since a lot of insects love to feed on decaying wood.
Source: Relatively Interesting
But a closer look made them realize that there was something more to discover. The wooden statue was hollow. One thing was clear – whatever was inside the wooden statue was put there on purpose. Whatever it was, the purpose was to keep it hidden.
What to do?
Gemma had an important decision to make. Should they bring out something that was meant to stay hidden? And if they chose to ignore it, would they be ignoring something that needs to be known and discovered?
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Gemma had two choices. She could leave it alone, seal the cracks and make sure that it would never be discovered again. Or she could open the statue now and see if they have something that could shine a light on a historic event.
Revealing the secret
Gemma weighed the consequences. This statue has not been touched for centuries. This may be the only chance anyone could uncover the secret within it. Gemma decided to check whatever was hidden inside the statue.
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After all, her team would be skilled enough to return the statue back in one piece if it turned out to be just nothing. The team stood eagerly by her side as she opened the statue from the cracks. Everyone was eager for the big reveal.
The statue’s secret
When Gemma lifted the wooden frame to reveal what was inside the statue, everyone was holding their breath. Inside were two small, weathered scrolls. Gemma carefully retrieved the scroll, eager to see what its contents revealed.
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Who would secretly place these scrolls inside a Jesus statue? And what information could these scrolls have that they needed to be hidden inside the statue? Whoever did it make sure that the scrolls would last for a long time?
How old were the scrolls?
The scrolls were made from vellum, which is a thin sheet of leather. Because of its durability, the message in the scrolls was readable despite not being opened for centuries. If the scroll was made out of paper, it would not have lasted this long inside the statue.
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Gemma wondered how long the scrolls were hidden inside the statue. Further work was needed to determine how old the scrolls were and what the message meant. When they finally got the results on the date and interpretation of the scroll, everyone was surprised.
The message
It was later revealed that the scrolls dated as far as 1777. The message was written by Joaquin Mínguez, the chaplain of the church at the time. Joaquin also names the sculptor of the statue, Manuel Bal.
Source: Pixabay
Written in the scrolls was a very detailed insight into what was happening in Spain during the time. He even listed down what kind of food was being grown in the region. He also had written down the leisure activities people took part in at that time.
Dark times in history
Joaquin writes about the culture, economy, and politics of Spain at that time. The scrolls later took a dark turn as Joaquin discussed the grim details of the illnesses that took over time such as typhoid fever.
Source: Wikipedia
Joaquin also mentioned that King Carlos III was the ruler at the time. The king mentioned started his reign in 1759 and ruled for almost three decades. The scrolls also had information about the brutal Spanish Inquisition, which lasted from 1478 to 1834.
A historical find
Such details of Spanish history make it an important historical find. But first, the scrolls and the information in them had to be verified. The scrolls will then be moved to another location to be archived and for safekeeping.
Source:Pixabay
Before sending off the original scrolls, Gemma’s team created a pH-neutral copy of the letter so that it will not do any damage to the sculpture. The recreated letter would be reinserted into the statue before they seal it.
Her biggest find
Gemma and her team could not believe their luck. She was glad she took the chance and let curiosity get the best of her. Had she decided not to open the statue, who knows when the scrolls will be discovered?
Source: Relatively Interesting
In an interview with the Daily Mail, Gemma shared “The document of the 18th century appeared when we were dismantling the Christ of the cross. The wood is hollow inside and the sculptor introduced the two [scrolls], which we have found.”
A time capsule
Historian Effren Arroyo shared that the wide-ranging details of Joaquin’s messages indicated that he intended the scrolls to be some kind of a time capsule for future generations to discover.
Source: Relatively Interesting
Effren added that “Although it is usual for many sculptures to be hollow, it is not so much to find handwritten documents inside. It is amazing because it really is unique to find hidden handwritten documents inside such statues.”
Adding to the capsule
Gemma believes that this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her. She agrees with Efren’s theory that the Jesus statue was a unique time capsule. “He wanted to leave a memory of their experience in their epoch.”
Source: Relatively Interesting
Before sealing the statue once more, the team also placed their own updated version of the original letter. The next time someone rediscovers the letters, they will know what life was like in two eras, centuries apart.
Where are they now
The original scrolls were sent to the archbishop of Burgos to be archived and for safekeeping. Two replicas were created – one to return inside the Cristo del Miserere statue to preserve its original intent and the other for the general public.
Source: Relatively Interesting
The Cristo del Miserere is hanging back to its original place in the Church of Santa Agueda in Sotillo de la Ribera, Spain. How many years do you think it will take for the future generation to rediscover this unique time capsule?