The city of Guadix will soon have a new museum dedicated to Torcuato Ruiz del Peral. It is located in the Church of San Francisco, which is already a popular attraction, boasting one of the finest examples of Mudéjar art in the province. From now on, it will also house the sculptures originally created by the artist Torcuato Ruiz del Peral for this church, which were preserved thanks to the skill of the nuns who used the church in the last century. The nuns hid the finest sculptures in a false ceiling when they witnessed the destruction wrought during the Spanish Civil War. And today, thanks to them, we can enjoy them. These sculptures, which have been kept until now in the Cathedral Museum, are returning to the place for which they were created in the 18th century.
The facilities were blessed on Wednesday, December 21st. The blessing was performed by the Bishop of Guadix, Francisco Jesús Orozco. They will be open to the public in a few days, before the end of the year, and the official inauguration will take place in March 2023, with the attendance of all the authorities and institutions that have contributed to this magnificent project.
What's opening in Guadix is more than just a museum. It's an Interpretation Center dedicated entirely to one artist: Torcuato Ruiz del Peral, to whom Guadix owes this recognition. Visitors will not only be able to view some of this sculptor's work, but also to contextualize his life and work with greater flexibility than a museum offers. "It's the only Interpretation Center dedicated to an artist of this kind in Andalusia, similar to the one in Murcia dedicated to Salzillo," said Antonio Fajardo, delegate of Diocesan Heritage and the creator of this new cultural offering.
The Ruiz del Peral Interpretation Centre displays several images of this magnificent sculptor. It also features other works created for this church, which form part of the context in which Ruiz del Peral lived. All of this is enhanced by screens that offer details and help visitors understand the artist's genius. For example, the altarpiece combines wood and gilding with video, blending the past with the present.
The first to visit the new center were the priests, who attended the blessing as they were celebrating their Christmas gathering that day. It will open to the public in a few days, adding to the cultural offerings of the diocese and the Guadix region, which already boasts several museums: the Cathedral Museum, the Royal Hospital Museum, guided tours of the Cathedral and the Episcopal Palace, the ascent to the Cathedral Tower, the Face Retama Sanctuary, and now this Torcuato Ruiz del Peral Interpretation Center. With this, the diocese is offering its heritage as an incentive to visit the region, boosting tourism and thus supporting its fragile economy.
Torcuato Ruiz del Peral was born in Exfiliana in 1708 and died in Granada in 1773. He is considered the last great representative of Granadan Baroque sculpture, one of the most interesting artists of the late Spanish Baroque and a disciple of the great master sculptor Diego de Mora.
The Torcuato Ruiz del Peral Interpretation Centre has been made possible thanks to the efforts of the Diocese of Guadix, with the support of the Guadix Local Action Group (LAG), and funding from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) of the European Union and the Regional Government of Andalusia. These funds have been used to adapt the church for its new purpose, restoring parts of the building that required it and constructing the new museum space, which will provide the city of Guadix with an additional attraction and, therefore, a source of wealth for all.
This new Centre represents a unique cultural offering in Andalusia, worthy of being visited, a Christmas gift for Guadix and the entire region.
