A wide area of the Vilafranca church cordoned off due to the risk of the vault collapsing

VilafrancaA part of the Santa Bàrbara church in Vilafranca has had to be cordoned off due to the serious risk of the vault collapsing. The structural problem lies in the fact that the buttresses are not fulfilling their containment function, a critical situation that threatens the stability of this interior roof and forces the space to be restricted for safety reasons.

Despite this situation, worship has not had to be completely suspended thanks to the architectural layout of the temple. The rector of Vilafranca, Francesc Xavier Riutort, explains that the division between the old and modern parts "has allowed us to continue using the new part of the church, always with certain reservations and the pertinent precautionary measures."

However, the temple's activity will be strictly limited to regular liturgical celebrations, such as weekly masses and the patronal festival of Santa Bàrbara. In this sense, Riutort points out that extraordinary events often held there will have to be suspended, citing as examples the Vilacanta choir concert, the school children's Christmas carol concert, among others.

The rector also wanted to address the rumors circulating in the municipality regarding the general state of the building and clarified that the danger exclusively affects the central vault and not the roof. As he details, between the vault and the roof there is an air chamber that separates both structures, which is why the outer covering is not at risk of falling. In this way, the current problem centers on the interior ceiling of the nave, a structural defect that recalls other recent episodes in Mallorca, such as the nighttime collapse of the vault at Son Negre or the preventive closure of the church of Biniali.

The architect of the Bishopric of Mallorca, together with another architect specializing in structures, has already begun work on drawing up the technical restoration project. Due to the complexity of the operation, the intervention will have to be carried out by a construction company specializing in historical heritage, a factor that suggests the works will have a very high budget and could take longer than usual.

Activities to finance the works

Given the magnitude of the upcoming expense, the parish has already set to work and created a working group of faithful and volunteer people to promote various fundraising campaigns in the town. Among the first measures planned is the sale of lottery tickets for the upcoming 2027 El Niño draw. In addition, the parish team will set up two information stalls at the two Christmas markets to be held soon in Vilafranca. At these points, the technical details and the urgency of the renovation will be explained to the residents, the lottery will be sold, and, if deadlines allow, a 2027 calendar illustrated with old photographs of the temple will be put on sale. "These are the initiatives we have in the short term, but the actions will be extended over time because it will be an expensive work, and after the Christmas holidays, we will continue to move forward with a more extensive calendar," explains Riutort.

How will the intervention be?

The main intention of this project —explain the architects— is to reinforce the structure of the vault that forms the central nave of the building.

The building was constructed in different phases. On one hand, it is formed by a main nave with stone walls and pilasters covered by a marès stone vault. This was expanded, following in one part with the vault, and in another part, covered with a dome.

The vault built in the first phase presents cracks that show that a rupture mechanism has formed, which poses an imminent danger of collapse. The vault built in the second phase also has cracks produced by settlement, but it does not show signs of imminent structural danger.

The structure of the vault will be reinforced through the installation of steel tie rods. Firstly, the stability of the vault will be ensured by placing a wooden centering with a light metallic structure. Secondly, reinforced concrete or steel hoops will be made in order to fasten the steel tie rods. Once the structure is secured, the centering will be dismantled.