06/10/2010
Vitoria- Gasteiz, 6th October 2010.- The Bishop of Vitoria- Gasteiz has signed an agreement with Santa Maria Cathedral Foundation for the concession during the next 30 years the management of the adjacent buildings of the cathedral and the cultural uses of it. It is the first agreement of this characteristics that has been signed in Spain. After this ten years of the beginining of the restoration works, the Cathedral has recovered it´s prominence and the project has increased constructively and historically. The Cathedral will be reopened to the cult, and it is necessary to regulate the cultural uses with the sacred ones. The Foundation will develop a conservation and a maintenance Plan of the cathedral and it´s furniture heritage, and some different areas inside the cathedral will be delimited.
1.- KNOWLEDGE ITINERARY AREA
They are the new spaces generated by the archaeological excavations and some new spaces inside and outside the cathedral that do not have a liturgical use.
2.- SPACES WITH RELIGIOUS USE
The Foundation will be allowed to:
Guided visits
Apart from the knowledge itinerary, it includes the naves, the portico, the Santa Maria parish, the sacristy and the furniture heritage of the cathedral. It is possible to organise guided visits inside the cathedral but without hindering the religious ceremonies.
Cultural uses
Performances in the naves and in the Santa Maria parish that are appropiate to the sacred place.
Performances in the portico which are respectful with the cathedral and the liturgical activities.Musical sphere
The cooperation between the Bishop and the Foundation will have an special consideration with the musical sphere for organising different concerts or ask composers to compose new religious musical pieces for the Diocesan Musical Archive. This archive includes apart from the wealthy musical heritage created along the history, new musical pieces with religious expressions.The creation of a choir or a students choir and the recovery of the Music Chapel of the Cathedral will be promoted.
3.- ADJACENT BUILDINGS TO THE CATHEDRALThey are the buildings situated in Cuchilleria St. 93,95 and 97.Ground Floor: Interpretation Centre. Visitor´s access.First Floor: Technical and Management Area.Second Floor: Capitular Hall. Cathedral´s Library and Archive.
First agreement in 2000
The collaboration between the Bishop and the Public Institutions began in the 90s due to the serious damaged situation of Santa Maria Cathedral. The Restoration Master Plan, drawn up in 1998 had included not only all the restoration process but also it´s´didactic and functional potential.
In July 2000 they signed an agreement for using the cathedral and it´s annexes in the next ten years.