The Institut Valencià de Conservació, Restauració i Investigació (IVCR+I) has restored a parish flag from La Torre, a district of the city of Valencia, that was severely damaged by the DANA storm of October 2024.
The institute said in a statement that the flag belongs to the Congregación del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús, part of the Nuestra Señora de Gracia parish in La Torre, and is one of the most important textile heritage pieces conserved by that community.
Damage caused by the flooding
The flag is made of white satin embroidered with gold metallic thread and polychrome silk. It suffered serious damage in the flooding, with water and mud leaving stains and deposits of dirt, particularly on the embroidered areas, which made the piece harder to conserve and to read.
The piece also showed structural deterioration, including loss of fabric and deformations caused both by its use in religious processions and by tensions that had built up in the textile over time.
How the restoration was carried out
Restorers began by removing the flag's lining so they could access its interior and clear out the remaining mud. They then carried out mechanical cleaning using specialised tools and controlled suction.
The work continued with chemical and wet cleaning, which reduced the staining and helped recover the flag's original appearance. The intervention also allowed conservators to correct the deformations in the fabric and realign the textile layers.
The final stage of the work involved consolidating the most damaged areas of the flag and closing the piece by hand-sewing, completing its recovery.
The October 2024 DANA
A DANA, the Spanish term for an isolated high-altitude depression, brought torrential rain and catastrophic flash flooding to the Valencia region in October 2024. The storm caused widespread destruction across dozens of towns in the region, damaging homes, businesses and cultural and religious property, including textile items such as processional flags kept by local parishes.
The IVCR+I is a public body attached to the regional government of Valencia, the Generalitat Valenciana, and specialises in conserving, restoring and researching cultural heritage across the region.
What the restoration means for the parish
With the flag's recovery complete, the La Torre parish regains one of its oldest and most significant heritage items. According to the institute, the flag will once again be able to be used in religious celebrations.
