08/03/2012
Vitoria- Gasteiz, 8th March 2012.- Santa Maria Cathedral Foundation has organized didactic workshops for children between 8 and 11 years old for the next Holy Week, exactly from 10th April until the 13th. The children will learn what a cathedral nowadays is and what is the difference with another churches. It is very important to make a reservation due to limited vacancies.2012 will be very important for the restoration works of the cathedral. The most important part of the restoration will be finished during this year coinciding with the 150th anniversary of the Diocese and the consecration of Santa Maria as a cathedral, that is the reason why the Foundation has organized these workshops.The children participating in these workshops will learn more about the history of the cathedral´s construction, who the artisans were, the different trades that usually worked in the cathedral and the characteristics of the Gothic architecture. They will also learn about the origins of the Holy Week, Easter and all the traditions born in this period of the year.The workshops are bilingual ( spanish- basque) and begin at 10am until 1pm.
The first workshop is entitled ´This is my gargoyle´, where the children will cover all the cathedral and they will identify all its parts. They will choose one of these parts, the gargoyle, and after learning about their important role in the evacuation system, the children will make one in maché paper using their imagination.
On the next day they will learn about the origin of Easter and how an egg has become in a symbolic thing that you give to somebody you love. This workshop is called ´The egg: Easter treasure´. They will decorate Easter eggs with coloured papers to give them later as a present. The children will also visit the medieval wall, where they will play to find hidden eggs along the wall.
Who cares about the cathedral´ is the name of the third workshop where they will explain the origin of the problems of the cathedral in the walls or vaults, the present restoration works and the materials and techniques that have been used. On this day the children will finish the gargoyle that they began the day before.
The last day will be the day of ´The theater of the trades´, and they will learn about the artisans that worked in the construction of the cathedral: stonemasons, builders, sculptors, carpenters or glassworkers e.t.c., and the materials and tools that they used. The children will choose an artisan and they will make a marionette of it.
The price of these workshops is 30€, and 22€ for the members of the Founders Circle. A reservation is required at the Visitors Reception Center ( Plaza Burullería) or calling to 945 255 135