During their tour they were accompanied, among others, by the General Director of the Santa María la Real Foundation, Juan Carlos Prieto. The visit served to see the result of the intervention carried out in the temple within the framework of the Atlantic Romanesque Intervention Plan.
Accompanying the architect responsible for the project, Jesus Castillo, Director of Heritage Conservation of the Santa María la Real Foundation, the participants were able to verify that the intervention has focused on the monitoring of the building, the restoration of the altarpiece and increased and improved lighting. "The performance is a breakthrough for the management and improvement of the building's energy efficiency, consumption is reduced and we have achieved to artistically enhance certain parts of the temple," noted Rafael Landin.
The General Director of Heritage of Castile and León also noted that "projects like the Atlantic Romanesque Intervention Plan and the like are helping consolidate Castile and Leon as a community pioneering in research and innovation around the management and conservation of heritage."
Not surprisingly, many of the temples of the Atlantic Romanesque Plan, including that of Sejas of Sanabria, have been included in the MHS (Heritage Monitoring System) developed by the Santa María la Real Foundation. To control the environmental conditions of the building and in order to ensure preservation of the property and artwork, small sensors have been placed within the monument. Special attention has been paid to the prechurrigueresco altarpiece which was newly restored in Sejas de Sanabria.
"Such interventions are possible thanks to a public-private partnership," continued Enrique Saiz, referring to the Atlantic Romanesque Plan, which clearly exemplifies cross-border collaboration for the conservation of cultural heritage, since it involves the Board of Castile and Leon, Iberdrola Foundation, the Ministry of Culture of Portugal and the Santa María la Real Foundation, in addition to the Diocese of Zamora, Astorga, Salamanca and Ciudad Rodrigo.
More efficient and sustainable management
Local residents, the pastor, mayors and representatives of the diocese have unanimously agreed that one of the most valued interventions has been the improvement in the lighting of the temple. It has been designed to offer an appropriate environment both for worship and for tourist visits. "The strategic placement of small points of light allows us to enhance elements such as the altarpiece, the paneling or the font" explained Jesus Castillo.
The architect responsible for the project also ensured the visitors that thanks to the monitoring and new lighting, the temple is little by little becoming a "smart building." By reducing energy consumption and ensuring preventive conservation it has become more sustainable and efficient.
Upcoming interventions
This visit also served to give the parish a book of "building maintenance" with some guidelines and tips to ensure better conservation of the temple after the intervention. Furthermore, the projects to be carried out throughout this year as part of the Atlantic Romanesque Plan have been moved ahead. So, in the province of Zamora, the projects in the following churches will begin: the churches of Fermoselle, San Pedro de la Nave, El Campillo, as well as in the chapel of the Virgen del Castillo in Yecla de Yeltes, Salamanca.
