One of the main actions of the Hortensia Herrero Foundation in 2012 was the restoration of Santa Lucía Chapel and its surroundings. The Brotherhood of Santa Lucía was founded in 1238 in the Cathedral Church of Valencia by James I the Conqueror, although in 1394 it was moved to the current location at Hospital street in Valencia. It is one of the most emblematic buildings in the Valencian capital and the Foundation is very proud of having contributed to make it stand out in all its splendour once again. The Foundation has collaborated in adapting the building’s surroundings and entrances to improve accessibility, while recovering the original ground level. This was achieved by making a new direct side access to the interior of the church, so that it is no longer necessary to go down or up a single step to enter the Chapel. In addition, all the facades have been restored and its structure is white again, which completely changes what it looked like until now.
The main purpose of this action was to stop the building from deteriorating further, but at the same time the functionality of the complex was also improved, restoring the façades of the Chapel. All this was done to improve the patrimonial condition of the temple that had been declared ‘Historic and Artistic Site’ in 1963. Dealing with the high degree of humidity in the temple was also very important. To solve this, the original ground level was recovered and the perimeter was emptied (more than two meters of soil), integrating the site with the surrounding garden.
On 5th February, coinciding with the celebration of one of the patron saints of the Chapel, Santa Águeda (Santa Lucía is the other), the scaffolding was removed and the temple could be admired once again in all its former glory. The president of the Hortensia Herrero Foundation attended the religious ceremony, in the presence of the Archbishop of Valencia, Monsignor Carlos Osoro.