An angel with a smartphone? Murcia Cathedral reveals a hidden detail

Murcia’s Tourism Department has revealed a new detail hidden in plain sight on Murcia Cathedral’s façade

Christmas is just around the corner, that time of year when angels appear, usually as a Christmas decoration. But how many of them are holding a smartphone? Murcia’s Tourism Department held a press conference to reveal that Murcia’s newly restored Cathedral now has one sitting right on the façade.

This presentation coincides with the celebrations for the Day of San Francisco Javier and just before the December long weekend. At a time when many walk around Murcia City to take in the atmosphere and enjoy the Christmas lights, they now have another interesting spot to check out. 

This interesting update to one of Murcia’s most visited sites was made during last year’s restoration. One of the angels on the ‘imafronte’ was quietly updated to include this small, modern detail. The angel in question now holds a smartphone resting in its hand, it is subtle enough to miss if you’re not looking for it. According to the Tourism Department, the idea was to attract more visitors to the Cathedral and not to take away from the historic importance of the building.

More surprising additions to Spain’s historical buildings

This type of modern addition to historical buildings is not uncommon. Across Spain, restorers have added similar touches to cathedrals and churches. Some examples of these are the astronaut that was carved during the restoration in 1992 of the cathedral in Salamanca. In Palencia, an alien was added to its cathedral, and in Calahorra, a smaller, more old-fashioned mobile phone was added to the cathedral during restoration.

From Darth Vader and the Alien in Paisley

These details aren’t limited to Spain, they pop up on buildings all over the world. One of the most famous is the Darth Vader grotesque at the Washington National Cathedral. This was added in the 1980s after a children’s competition. The winning sketch, which happened to be of Star Wars' famous villain, was carved into the cathedral instead of a gargoyle.

And over in Paisley, Scotland, if you look closely at Paisley Abbey, you will spot a gargoyle that looks very like the alien from the Alien film franchise. It was added during restoration work in the 1990s.

Murcia’s new talking point

Now, Murcia Cathedral has its own interesting talking point. Check it out next time you are in Murcia, although you may need a really good zoom function on your camera as it is rather high up!

Images: web.murcia.es