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La Voz de Andalucía

Former San Hermenegildo Church to Become Velázquez Center in Seville

The Seville City Council grants the use of the historic building to the Focus Loyola Foundation for 30 years for a cultural and research project.

Facade of a historic church in Seville, Spain, under sunlight.
IA

Facade of a historic church in Seville, Spain, under sunlight.

The former San Hermenegildo church in Seville, after two decades of inactivity, has been granted by the City Council to the Focus Loyola Foundation for 30 years to establish a research and dissemination center on Diego Velázquez.

The Governing Board of Seville City Council, at the proposal of the Institute of Culture and Arts of Seville (ICAS), has approved the free public domain concession of the former San Hermenegildo church to the Focus Loyola Foundation. This agreement, valid for 30 years, aims to revitalize the space, located in the central Plaza de la Concordia, transforming it into a reference point for the study of Diego Velázquez's work.
The property, listed as a Cultural Interest Asset and declared a place of democratic memory, must be used exclusively for these purposes. The concession requires the Focus Loyola Foundation to guarantee the conservation of the building in accordance with the Andalusian Historical Heritage Law and to comply with the obligations of democratic memory regulations, including maintenance and preservation of its historical values.
To ensure compliance with the conditions, an economic guarantee of 146,378.24 euros has been established, equivalent to 4% of the asset's value. This measure is in addition to other administrative obligations regulating the use of the property during the concession period.
The municipal decision ends a long period of inactivity for San Hermenegildo, which had been without a defined project since its closure in 2006. Despite its strategic location in Seville's historic center, the building had not had regular programming or continuous public access. The new management model, under public ownership and for general interest purposes, seeks to integrate the property into the city's cultural offerings.
Prior to this concession, the City Council carried out an intervention on the property last year, focused on its structural conservation. These works included the renovation of roofs and facades to ensure the building's stability and prevent its deterioration. After the completion of these works, the temple was opened to the public on a temporary basis in 2025, offering a first glimpse of its recovery.
As a preview of the future Velázquez Center, the Lower Chapter House of the Consistory hosts an exhibition until May 30 with four key pieces of Sevillian heritage from the Focus Loyola Foundation. The exhibition, curated by Juan Suárez, includes works such as Vista de Sevilla (anonymous), Santa Rufina and The Imposition of the Chasuble on Saint Ildefonsus by Diego Velázquez, and Penitent Saint Peter by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.

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