The work to renovate the area around the Church of Santa Ana has uncovered an archaeological artefact from the previous church. It is a holy water font that was found a few weeks ago as archaeologists were watching the construction activity. Rubén Alfaro, the mayor of Elda, said, “The font was at the bottom of the steps that led to the church’s main entrance on Calle La Iglesia.”
The mayor of Elda showed the piece at an event at the Ethnological Museum. The councillors for Public Space and Investments, José Antonio Amat, and for Historical Heritage, Iñaki Pérez, were also there, along with the city’s archaeologist and official chronicler, Gabriel Segura.
Rubén Alfaro said, “Since the archaeological work is still going on, experts say it makes sense to think that, because of its size, decoration, and where it was found, we are looking at one of the holy water fonts or basins that were at the main entrance of the old church of Santa Ana, which was destroyed during the Civil War.”
Gabriel Segura said, “The piece, which we could date from between the mid-18th and mid-19th centuries, is exceptionally well preserved under the asphalt, just centimetres below the surface, without anyone having or reporting on it for decades.” This basin was carved from a single piece of limestone and is 93.6 cm wide and 49 cm tall. The outside is covered in a pattern that alternates between notches in the shape of ears of wheat and gadroons.
The inside of the basin has a logical concave surface for retaining water. It is smooth and has a decorative rosette in the shape of petals, which was also carved from stone. A metal stem rises from the centre of the rosette, which most likely carried a wooden or stone cross that is no longer there. It seems like a fixed basin since it contains three parts: a cup, a shaft, and a base. Only the cup has been located; the shaft and base are still missing.
The archaeologist said that “at its base it has a big hole where the circular shaft, which was also made of stone and looked like a small column, would have been set to keep it upright.” So, the piece is a font that held water and was blessed by a priest so that people may make the sign of the cross when they entered the temple. Most of these kinds of holy water fonts are medium-sized, but some, like this one from Elda, are more like real baptismal fonts because of their size and design.
Because it is an archaeological artefact that was found during a municipal project in a public space and during an archaeological monitoring intervention approved by the Territorial Service of Culture and Sport, the piece will be added to the collections of the municipal museum.
Author: Derek Appleton
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