CROWD APPEAL

NORMALLY the collection plate is passed around when church repairs are needed. But with just 27 residents, the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in the tiny hamlet of Masa had to move with the times to hit its necessary €55,000 target. An online crowdfunding ap-

Ancient church turns to modern methods

By Alex Trelinski

peal has been set up for the Burgos province church, which needs urgent renovations.

BAD DISGUISE?

EUROPE’s largest vertical mural has been completed. Covering over 6,000 square metres, Les Rivages de Almunecar, by artist Jose Rios, is painted on three 12-storey buildings.

The mural, on Granada’s Costa Tropical, depicts a figure of a dog walking on the beach, the silhouette of a woman and waves and sand.

Its conception was to convey a sense of transparency and disguise the ugly tower blocks on which it is painted.

As of mid-July, €26,000 had been banked with contributions from all round the world to fund a new clock and altar.

Standing since the 13th century it is the cornerstone of the village, which has only eight permanent residents, the rest coming at weekends or holidays.

“We are the

HELP NEEDED: The Church of Our Lady of the Assumption classic example of depopulated Spain,” said Josechu de Miguel, who is leading the fundraising drive. The key innovation has been joining forces with heritage charity Hispania Nostra to launch the crowdfunding drive with donations starting