21/10/2011
Vitoria- Gasteiz, 21st October 2011.- The conversion of Santa Maria in April 1862 and the coexistence with another cathedral in the same city is the plot of the third number of the comic ´Roots of Stone´. It has been published in spanish, basque, english and french, and it is available for 5€ in the Cathedral´s Store ( c/ Las Escuelas 11) and in the Visitors Reception Center. Santa Maria Cathedral Foundation has presented today the third number of ´Roots of Stone´, a comic that narrates the origins and the growth of Santa Maria Cathedral. This comic has been published by Editorial Saure, with the outline of Joseba Gomez and pictures of Iñigo Sarasola. The advising has been carried out by Builded Heritage Group of the University of the Basque Country. The comic has been printed in the printer´s of Diputación Foral de Álava. There has been published 500 copies in spanish, and 450 in basque, english and french together.
The first comic narrated the construction of Santa Maria Cathedral, the second one accompained the cathedral from the XVth century until the XIXth century, and this third comic narrates the great activity of the cathedral and the building of a second cathedral.
In 20th January in 1856 a fire broke out in the tower and the architect Martín Saracibar worked there to stop the alarming structural problems that threatened its stability. In 28th April in 1862 Santa Maria became a Cathedral.
The construction of Maria Inmaculada began and we reached the 60s with the architect Manuel Lorente and a frenzied activity in Santa Maria. They removed the ´fear arches´ of the central nave. But these interventions didn´t benefit the building and reactivated the movements.
The comic ends in the 90s with a deserted cathedral and a question: Will the obscurity achieve what fires and wars have not attained? The answer seems to be easy.