05/06/2002
05/06/2002 The Santa María Cathedral Foundation has made important progress
in its efforts to promote its restoration project thanks to a publication
entitled NEWS FROM THE TRIFORIUM. This magazine, which is published once
every four months, contains information about new developments and issues
related to the restoration of the Old Cathedral. The Basque Country´s
most emblematic gothic building is now a focal point for quality tourism
in Alava and NEWS FROM THE TRIFORIUM is, in this sense, an ideal platform
from which to tell both the local people and the thousands of visitors
that come to discover the building´s many secrets every year all
about the excellent restoration work that is currently being carried out.
The Foundation is already making an enormous effort to promote general
awareness of its activities through its highly successful Programme of
Guided Tours, attendance at cultural heritage and tourism fairs and events
and the organisation of conferences, workshops on traditional crafts,
seminars and exhibitions. It has also recently posted its own website
at www.catedralvitoria.com. ´To all these achievements we must now
add this magazine, which aims to be a focal point for communication with
the general public,´ explains Gonzalo Arroita, managing director
of Santa María Cathedral Foundation. As part of its project to
promote the many different aspects of the project across a broad social
spectrum and to increase the number of people who actively collaborate
with the restoration initiative, the Foundation has decided to distribute
the new magazine as widely as possible.
50,000 copies were published of the first edition of NEWS FROM THE TRIFORIUM,
making it one of the most-widely distributed magazines published in Alava.
The Foundation gave a copy to each member of the Circle of Founders and
to each visitor participating in the Third Programme of Guided Tours.
Furthermore, the publication has also been distributed to the principal
cultural and tourist centres in the city, local region and Basque Country
as a whole. The magazine is free and includes information in both Spanish
and Basque. The first issue contains 20 full-colour pages presenting a
global outline of the restoration project and its many different aspects,
from the recovery of the building materials to the increase of its cultural
value through a wide range of different activities.
Nowadays, the Old Cathedral is a enclave bursting with History, Architecture,
Archaeology, Art and Culture, made even more fascinating by the fact that
its contents change as the research and restoration work progresses. The
Santa María Cathedral Foundation, which publishes the magazine,
aims to promote general awareness of the work being carried out through
an attractive, reader-friendly presentation. ´The objective is to
attract the reader´s attention and then explain the secrets and
knowledge buried in the old gothic cathedral in a way that is both clear
and interesting,´ adds Arroita.
The first issue of NEWS FROM THE TRIFORIUM is dedicated to explaining
the philosophy underpinning the restoration project. The aim is to raise
public awareness of the importance of the restoration work and the effect
it will have on the area as a whole. The magazine aims to do this through
a series of three features. The first is a brief historical overview of
the Old Cathedral from its beginnings up until the present day, which
will serve as an introduction for the more detailed analyses of each individual
constructive era that will appear in subsequent issues. Three old photographs
of great sentimental and historical value serve to draw the reader´s
attention to the church´s fascinating past.
The second feature gives a brief outline of the project as a whole. In
the case of the Old Cathedral, restoration involves a lot more than simple
architectural renovation. Rather, it is a comprehensive plan with many
different facets encompassing a wide range of fields including culture,
tourism, education, economy and the urban renewal of the surrounding area.
The feature analyses the main achievements of the last few years, including
the compilation of the Master Plan and the management and promotion activities
carried out by the Santa María Cathedral Foundation.
The third feature explains the key points of and new attractions offered
by the Third Programme of Guided Tours around the Restoration Works, placing
special emphasis on the new walkway. The article describes the construction
process and the objectives fulfilled by this structure as regards providing
support for the columns and a view of the archaeological excavations.
The text is accompanied by eight large photographs which trace the different
stages of its construction.
The magazine also has a number of other sections, one of the largest
being that dedicated to the website and virtual tours. A large map gives
readers a general idea of the numerous possibilities on offer at www.catedralvitoria.com
and there is also a brief explanation of each of the sections. The article
also tells readers what they have to do in order to go on a virtual tour
of the cathedral, as well as describing the system´s technical characteristics
and the novelties it offers with regard to the real tour.
NEWS FROM THE TRIFORIUM also includes two sections with brief news items
about the project and its cultural, tourist and educational aspects. It
also explains the philosophy and objectives of the Circle of Founders
and includes a membership form. For those interested in contacting the
Santa María Cathedral Foundation, there is also a section entitled
letters to the director. In addition to these, more sections are planned
for subsequent issues of the magazine.