Retablo Mayor of the San Pedro Apostol Parish Church
The Retablo Mayor of the San Pedro Apostol Parish Church in Loboc, Bohol.
Retablos, also called reredos, are large altar structures with niches that hold the images of saints. Designed to awe and inspire, the faithful are made to look up with high regard at the religious images and to follow the lives the saints led on earth.
Colonial retablos in the Philippines are usually made of wood bedecked with elaborate carvings. Many colonial retablos were originally colorful, gilt in gold leaf, and painted in cinnabar red and in blue or green malachite. Over the years, these retablos have been repainted. Thus, before the earthquake, the retablos on the sanctuary and transepts inside Loboc Church were painted white and gold.
After the 2013 Bohol Earthquake, the National Museum of the Philippines supervised the retrieval, documentation, and preventive conservation of the artifacts collected from the rubble. However, the artifacts were submerged in floodwaters brought about by Typhoon Seniang in December of 2014. This unfortunate event caused the paint on the wood of the damaged retablos to peel off, revealing its original colors.
At present, the Retablo Mayor (main retablo) and pulpit of San Pedro Apostol Parish Church have now been completely restored, with special thanks to the RGC Restoration and Conservation Services led by Guy Custodio, Jacquelou Aballe, and their team. The painting restoration was based on the original colors found at the back altar of the sacristy and from the remaining pigments found in some parts of the old retablo.
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