Restoring with light. The church of Santa Filomena and its environment

The Santa Filomena church, located in the Aconcagua valley, Valparaiso, appears as a valuable symbol of interest and devotion, that has endured over time since the colonial period. However, the main value of this place does not lie in the building that, affected by earthquakes and fires, is supported by its intervened adobe perimeter walls, of which its reliable and ancient identity takes refuge in the memory of a few. It is its fervent believers who really keep this temple standing, worshipping Saint Filomena there, a true wealth that shelters in and gives value to this space, the saint responsible for rain, intermediary that ensures life and crops throughout the valley. In this way, the restoration project proposes the reconstruction of the spatial qualities of the old nave of this church, declared a National Monument, by using contemporary materiality and atmosphere. An image is then restored with beams of light that, along with distancing the new from the old, illuminates the religious scenes from heaven: Saint Filomena, the altar, and the lost ambulatory with the Stations of the Cross. In addition, the proposal seeks to integrate the different dissociated existing areas: buildings, open spaces, and orchards in a Religious Heritage Site, based on patterns of use and construction typologies typical of the Santa Filomena valley.