Another disastrous restoration in Spain

Neighboring Spain is beginning to have its own tradition of failed restorations.

In 2012, a repaint by an octogenarian, Cecilia Giménez, transformed the figure of Christ in Ecce Homo , by painter Elías García Martínez, into something that looked more like a crude stuffed toy.

More recently, it was the restoration of Seville's Virgin of the Macarena that sparked public outrage. The cleaning and repair work, led by retired restorer Francisco Arquillo Torres, took only five days but left a lasting impression.

The image "looks younger, cleaner, more modern," writes Euronews . But for that very reason, it "is no longer La Macarena" as the people of Seville knew it, which has outraged the faithful.

In a heated meeting, which called for the resignation of the Brotherhood's leader, a new restoration was finally approved, this time led by conservator Pedro Manzanos and overseen by a committee of 15 experts. Manzanos requested three months to restore the image to its original state.