The church was declared a listed building by royal decree in 1947, and was in a fair state of preservation. Nevertheless, in 1970 it was assessed as being in danger of collapse and condemned to demolition, following a decision by the junta government that flew in the face of protests from numerous townsfolk and the local Directorate of Antiquities. To this day, the decision to demolish the building is regarded as one of the greatest crimes committed against the town's history.