Gleaming stained glass. That’s the first thing you notice here at Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa. It stands proudly on the corner of Assembly and Curapaligüe Avenues. This Buenos Aires church offers a unique cultural heritage. It is the temple with the most stained glass in the city.
Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa opened in November 1941. Religious and state authorities attended the ceremony. Every 27th of each month, the church celebrates the Medalla Milagrosa. November is special. It recalls the 1830 apparition of the Medalla Milagrosa to Saint Catherine Labouré. This took place in a Paris convent. Thousands of faithful flock to the temple. They show their love and gratitude to the Virgin.
The church boasts a neo-Romanesque style. It holds over 150 original stained-glass windows. These are a religious and cultural treasure for Buenos Aires. Antonio José Estruch created these windows in 1948. This Spanish painter hailed from Catalonia. He crafted stained glass for over 700 churches. He also worked on cathedrals and iconic buildings like Café Tortoni. Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa displays his largest collection.
Time, environmental factors, and lack of specific maintenance took their toll. The windows suffered significant damage. The city of Buenos Aires funded the latest restoration through its patronage law. The University of San Martín oversaw the project. María Paula Farina Ruiz, a stained-glass expert, led the conservation. She also managed the restoration and documentation. The project began in 2017 with a survey. The rose window and entrance doors were restored first, in 2018. The rose window sits on the church’s front. Stained glass is like a puzzle. Many colored glass pieces form it. These pieces may be painted using the grisaille technique. H-shaped lead rods hold them together. These rods are then soldered. This forms each stained-glass panel.
The restoration followed international guidelines. These guidelines concern historical stained-glass conservation. A special scaffold allowed simple and safe access to the panels. Workers carefully removed each panel. They worked on them in the choir. The choir is on the first floor. It is close to the rose window. This avoided unnecessary transport that could risk the panels’ safety. Wood tables were used for the restoration. Light tables aided documentation and photography. The team documented everything. They used plans, notes, photos, and films.
They found fungi, cobwebs, and insect nests on the stained-glass panels. They cleaned two test panels with three different methods. This determined the correct cleaning technique. It prevented future damage to the paintings. The outer safety glass rested directly on the stained-glass panels. This created constant humidity. Over time, this caused problems for the paints, lead, and glass. Part of the restoration involved modifying the safety glass. A two-centimeter space was created. This allowed air to circulate.
After restoring the stained-glass panels, they were placed back. They fit into the iron support structure of the rose window. The iron was cleaned. Rust was treated. It was repainted with 3-in-1 paints. After the rose window, the doors and fanlights were restored. The wood was assessed. It didn’t need restoration. Silicone had been incorrectly used in previous restorations. This acidic material was removed. The lead network was badly damaged. It was replaced. New iron rod reinforcements were added. A broken glass piece was found in one of the central door panels. The existing pieces were consolidated with epoxy resins. A similar glass was used to recreate the missing piece. A slight color variation marks it. The first stage of documentation and restoration ended in December 2018.
International charters guided the work. These included those from the Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi. They also followed guidelines from the ICOMOS Scientific Committee. Documentation was provided. This accounts for the restoration. It is vital for the stained glass’s conservation.
A second restoration phase is planned. Funding is needed. It will address the temple’s maintenance. The most damaged stained glass will be restored next. The University of San Martín wrote a book. It covers the first restoration phase. It also details the life of Antonio José Estruch. María Paula Farina Ruiz compiled the material.
Nuestra Señora de la Medalla Milagrosa stands as a testament to faith. It is a beacon of art. Its doors are open daily. Come and discover its beauty. Its virtual tour offers a closer look at its detailed stained glass.