09/03/2004
09/03/2004 The Church of Salvador in Seville will employ the monumental restoration and open-to-the-public management model successfully undertaken in Santa Maria Cathedral of Vitoria. This is what has been established in the cooperation agreement signed between the two institutions responsible for the restoration of both monuments.
The agreement sets forth a series of joint actions of a technical, cultural and scientific nature. It involves working towards closer mutual relations, joining forces and exchanging experiences. In this respect, those responsible for the recovery of the Church of Salvador appreciate the innovative and rigorous management of the Santa Maria Cathedral project, from the point of view of both the technical implications and its dissemination and revitalisation. These aspects have in fact helped make it an international reference point on matters of the restoration and management of national heritage resources.
For more than a year, and at the suggestion of the cardinal archbishop Carlos Amigo, architects and experts responsible for the rehabilitation of the ancient Sevillian collegiate church have followed closely the work on the Cathedral of Santa Maria. In fact, one of the questions that has most surprised the cardinal is the novel idea of opening the restoration to the public through guided visits.
Joint actions
In accordance with commitments in the agreement, the institutions responsible
for the recovery of both monuments, (the Archbishopric of Seville, in
the case of the Sevillian church, and the Foundation of Santa Maria Cathedral
on behalf of the cathedral of Vitoria), are to exchange research experiences
and knowledge, and will organise joint activities in different fields.
For this purpose, reference will be made to the results of actions carried out in the Cathedral of Vitoria, a Gothic temple from the 13th century. The restoration, expected to take ten years (2000-2010), has been recognised by the European Union, the Vatican, the Spanish Ministry of Culture and prestigious international architects and archaeologists as the "best project for the recovery of a historic building currently being undertaken in Europe". In May 2003 the project received the award Europa Nostra (Our Europe), the highest European award for the recovery and conservation of cultural heritage.