The altars of San Francisco de la Montaña

A colonial treasure completely restored

The altars from the Church of San Francisco de la Montaña, in Veraguas will be delivered to the National Government,, on Monday November 12th, completely restored by the International artist Angela Camargo.

The main altar and those of San Antonio, the Souls of Purgatory and the Crucifixion were repaired according to international standards at a cost of $119,000 In yet another project the Purisima, the San Jose and the Chorus altars are awaiting restoration so that this colonial treasure of the XVIII century will be a beacon for the development of a community that is barely 10 minutes from Santiago de Veraguas.

Camargo points out that the delivery of the altars will allow tourists and local inhabitants to enjoy the church, which may be the most important historical legacy of the province and the interior of the country.

Everything is decorated with the lavishness of popular baroque. The altars display extraordinary detail and rich colors The restorer points out the miniature carvings. These are the anonymous works of both European and local Indian carvers, deducing from the fact that the angelical Caryatids are adorned with blonde hair, blue eyes and Indian facial features. These works are a product of the economic bonanza which stemmed from the extraction of gold from the Belem and Veraguas rivers.

Camargo, who has spent a long time working in Panama and who has also worked in several continents tells us that some things, such as safety barriers to preserve the restoration are still needed,and that she hopes that private enterprise will participate in this effort.