Guadalajara’s fabled Minerva statue is to undergo major surgery – literally “going under the knife.”
Restorers this week announced the results of their two-week study to determine the extent of damage to the 60-year-old city landmark.
They discovered that a small section at the bottom of the statue – from the knees down – is filled with concrete. The upper part is hollow, comprising wafer-thin, six-millimeter metal that is corroded and in need of urgent repair, chief restorer Claudia Jáuregui confirmed.
“It’s probable that we will need to separate (the Minerva) into two sections,” Mayor Enrique Alfaro told reporters.
The mayor said it would be “too risky” to transport the statue to another location to carry out the repairs.
During their studies, restorers revealed they were amazed to discover a bullet hole in the metallic structure.
Alfaro stressed that the restoration project will cost no more than his original budget of eight million pesos.
The mayor said there was no legal requirement for state culture officials to give their approval to the repairs, as some of his critics have suggested. Out of courtesy, however, Alfaro said he will allow them access to the plans.
Alfaro added that despite an exhaustive search of the archives, no one at city hall could find any documents pertaining to the construction of the Minerva in 1956.
According to El Informador newspaper, the statue was built at a cost of 100,000 (old) pesos, around $US8,335.