Renovation works at the Santiago de Compostela cathedral, north-western Spain, lead to a rediscovery of a buried statue that was believed being lost 500 years ago.

The works leading to the find were conducted in the area of  the South Tower. The sculpture originally formed part of the Medieval front of the Pórtico de la Gloria. The facade was dismantled during 16th century and the statue was buried in a chamber at the foot of the tower.  The statue itself, measuring 185 centimetres in height, is believed to have been created by the workshops of Maestro Mateo and represents a prophet figure. According to the experts, establishing the exact identity of the person depicted will be hard, as the head of the statue is missing. However, parts of a halo, surrounding the head are preserved at the area of the neck. The statue, possibly dating to 1200 AD, is barefoot and is carrying a large scroll.

The statue is the ninth one found from the original facade. It is scheduled for cleaning and further study, after which it will join others at an exhibition and will be permanently stored in the Cathedral Museum in Santiago.

(after Spanish News Today)