04/11/2009
Vitoria-Gasteiz, 4th November 2009.- This weekend representatives of the Santa María and Nidaros (Norway) cathedrals have met in order to share work methods for the restoration and management of monuments. Some fifty people from Norway have seen the project in Vitoria, which is very similar to theirs as regards the idea of permanent conservation of the monument. Like the Santa María cathedral, Nidaros is part of the European Association of Cathedral and Church Architects, along with almost all German cathedrals. Cathedrals in Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, France and Great Britain are also broadly represented by it.
Located in Trondheim, Nidaros is the northernmost Gothic-Medieval cathedral in Europe and is an international pilgrimage church. Built between 1070 y 1320, it is currently rehabilitated after one hundred years of restoration that is still ongoing today. The Lutheran cathedral of Trondheim, as it is also known, is one of the most important historical monuments in Norway, reaching the status of cultural icon.
As part of its organisation and management structure it has a restoration board, set up over thirty years ago, which deals with the architectural aspects and organises a large number of stable stonemasonry, carpentry or stained glass workshops. In addition, there is an area in charge of the financial, cultural, guided tours or musical chapel management. A group of 45 people from the Norwegian cathedral, including architects, restorers, guides and workers, among others, have met with staff from the Santa María Cathedral Foundation to learn about the project and exchange information concerning the restoration and management of the temple. The meeting has been very productive for both, according to the managing director of the Santa María Cathedral Foundation, Juan Ignacio Lasagabaster, because the approach of the restoration carried out on the Norwegian temple "is very similar to that of Santa María. It is not considered as a project that has a start and an end to it; rather, the monument is seen as something that must be preserved and maintained permanently". "This consideration arises because they are buildings that are used by the public. They perceive them as symbols of their city, the way they are preserved and used is something which identifies the city, something to be proud of", he adds.