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The foundation stone of the church of San Blas (Cuenca, Ecuador). Interdisciplinary diagnosis and conservation guidelines

Abstract:

This paper presents the historical context and state of conservation of the foundation stone of the colonial church of San Blas, the predecessor of the existing building. As it is an essential artifact to understand the local history and the logic of the use of the resources of the territory, several research processes are used to determine its geological origin and state of conservation. Bibliographic and analytical research using non-invasive techniques (multislice computed tomography, thin-film petrography, X-ray microdiffraction, scanning electron microscopy and photogrammetry), allow us to determine that it is a yellowish bioclastic limestone possibly from the Loyola formation (El Descanso, Azuay, Ecuador), although it has similarities with other rocks such as sandstones or shales. In its present state, it is a compact monolith, without internal or external fractures, in spite of the irregularity of the surfaces and the rough conditions it has faced for several decades. This framework projects a context of preventive conservation capable of cataloging and assessing conditions from the seriousness-probability relationship.