The event, held in Albox's Plaza Mayor in front of the Town Hall, generated significant anticipation and offered a detailed look at one of the most important artistic projects at the Diocesan Sanctuary of El Saliente in recent years.
The presentation began with an address by the mayor of Albox, María del Mar Alfonso, followed by the Rector of the Sanctuary, don Antonio Jesús María Saldaña Martínez. The Rector discussed the rich Spanish apocalyptic tradition and argued for the necessity of religious art responding to current social and ecclesial realities, praising the courage of artist Andrés García Ibáñez for continuing this tradition without being confined by it.
Subsequently, the architect director of the rehabilitation project, don Francisco Carrasco Pérez, detailed the conservation work carried out on the temple and the cloister roofs, emphasizing the use of techniques consistent with the building's original methods to balance architectural recovery with respect for the Sanctuary's history.
Artist Andrés García Ibáñez provided a detailed explanation of his ornamental program, accompanying his words with an extensive photographic report that illustrated the creative process and the meaning of the paintings that have transformed the temple's interior.
The publication “Signum Magnum”, edited by the Ibáñez–Cosentino Art Foundation, spans nearly five hundred pages and includes theological, historical, artistic, and architectural texts, along with a comprehensive photographic collection of the intervention's process and outcome.
The work features a prologue by the Bishop of Almería, don Antonio Gómez Cantero, and contributions from specialists such as the Rector and the project's architect.
The evening concluded with the screening of a video documenting the decorative process and the Temple's transformation. The authors signed copies of the work, dedicated to the history, architecture, and artistic renovation of the Sanctuary.
These events precede the Dedication of the Sanctuary Church, scheduled for this weekend. Saturday afternoon will feature a Lucernarium and procession with relics (8:00 PM) and a Preparation Vigil (8:30 PM), presided over by Rector don Antonio Jesús María Saldaña, with musical participation by doña Rosabel Oller Sevilla.
On Sunday at 7:30 PM, the Solemn Holy Mass of Dedication will be celebrated, presided over by the Bishop of Almería, don Antonio Gómez Cantero, with musical contributions from doña Rosabel Oller Sevilla and the Dedication Choir. This celebration marks a significant moment in the Sanctuary's recent history, concluding a process of architectural recovery and artistic renewal.
