18/12/2007
The Cathedral of
Santa María is entering one of the most spectacular phases
of the renovation work that began in the year 2000. In addition to a
packed cultural calendar, the start of 2008 will witness the end of
restoration work on the portico and the start of spectacular renovation
work on the tower and naves of the Cathedral. Since guided tours were
first made available to the public, this Gothic Cathedral has welcomed
over 600,000 visitors.
Following seven years of intense activity, 2008 heralds a tough working
schedule for the Cathedral of Santa María. Over the first
few years of the Restoration Supervision Plan, fundamental work has
been carried out, including archaeological digs that have provided
essential and previously unknown information about the building
pathologies suffered by the Cathedral and the origins of the city, the
rehabilitation of access points for guided tours, the structural
consolidation of the domes and the reinforcement of the entire system
of foundations.
Restoration of the
portico: the polychromatic façade has been recovered thanks
to a revolutionary illumination process
Another of the tasks that required a great deal of care and dedication,
and which even forced the temporary closure of the Cathedral, was the
restoration of the portico. After months of intense work, the
restoration teams have finally managed to restore one of the important
monuments, historically and artistically speaking, of the 14th and 15th
centuries in peninsular European. In addition to the artistic
restoration work carried out, a study was also performed, revealing
that the portico was once polychrome. Since the chromatic remains are
difficult to make out because the façade was stripped back
in the 60s, an innovative system of chromatic reintegration using light
projections will enable members of the public to appreciate these
magnificent colours and discover the Cathedral’s historical
evolution. In a few weeks, glass doors will also be put in place around
the west side of the portico, which will allow visitors to view this
feature as never before, from outside the Cathedral.
Work in 2008
As for the tower, one of the main tasks will be the restoration of the
spire and the octagonal body. With a timeframe of 12 months and a
budget of €1.2 million, the plan is to strengthen the entire
upper section, which will enable all the scaffolding to be finally
taken down. The spectacular tower is also one of the best
manifestations of the philosophy behind this project, which aims to
overcome architectural barriers, incorporate exhibition spaces,
tourist, cultural and historical uses, and in general to incorporate
secular usages into a religious space.
The other projects planned for this year include strengthening the
pillars, installing the wrought ironwork and the Cathedral floor,
renovating the magnificent 18th century baroque sacristy and completing
work on the crypt.
Intense cultural
activity
The New Year brings with it a hive of cultural activity. On the 3rd,
the recently unveiled portico will be the venue for a short performance
by ‘Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint Marc’, better
known as the ‘Chorus’ from the film of the same
name. Before performing in the Vitoria’s Teatro Principal
– tickets have already sold out for the two scheduled
performances – they will be singing at the Cathedral,
performing some of the songs from their world tour, which has been met
with both critical and public acclaim, taking them to Japan, Canada,
USA, Russia and Spain.
Then, the following week, Vitoria will become the capital of the
publishing world thanks to the world presentation of the Spanish
edition of the latest novel written by Welsh author Ken Follett. Over
the course of 4 days, between the 8th and the 11th January, the city
will be the centre of attention for readers, booksellers and
journalists from all around the country, thanks to the launch of
‘World Without End’ – the sequel to his
worldwide best seller ‘The Pillars of the Earth’
– for which Follett took his inspiration from the Cathedral
of Santa María.
Throughout the month of February, visitors will get the chance to see
the first illumination trials of the portico. Shortly afterwards, in
March, Rafael Álvarez, otherwise known as “El
Brujo”, will be performing at the Cathedral.
Álvarez, who two years go premiered a play in Vitoria based
around the figure of Don Quixote, called ‘El Caballero de la
Palabra”, will be staging ‘El secreto del Evangelio
de San Juan’. This project aims to provide a modest
contribution, in terms of the stage, to the artistic current that,
through the work of men and women over the ages, evokes, contemplates
or celebrates that great gift in the lives of men: the gift of mystery.
There will be two performances on the 12th and 13th March in the
Cathedral’s portico and the Teatro Principal.
And starting in March, a series of scientific and general interest
essays will be published about the restoration process, showing the
evolution and progress of this project.
‘Open for
Renovation Work’ attracts over 600,000 visitors
Since it was launched in the year 2000, the programme of guided tours
of the Cathedral of Santa Maria has caused a stir among visitors to the
city. These unique cultural tours have drawn over 600,000 people into
the Cathedral to see the restoration work up close. This figure has
registered strong growth in the last few years and is still rising; it
is currently close to the 100,000 mark.
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