The restoration works of the cloister were presented at the cathedral of Ciudad Rodrigo. Such works have been supported by the Department of Culture and Tourism of Castile and Leon regional Government. A new information point at the Puerta del Perdón Door, designed within the scope of the Atlantic Romanesque Plan, was also opened.
Both openings were organised by the general director of the Cultural Heritage of Castile and Leon Regional Government, Enrique Saiz, and by the president of Iberdrola Foundation in Spain, Fernando García, accompanied by the Apostolic administrator of the Diocese, Jesus García Burillo, as well as representatives of Santa Maria la Real Foundation, institutions engaged in the development of the Atlantic Romanesque Plan.
The works undertaken at the cloister over the last year consisted in the restoration of the entire Cathedral of Ciudad Rodrigo and its related areas, thus solving ongoing problems of humidity, particularly serious for the sandstone due to its characteristics. These works implied implementing air and draining chambers as to assure water evacuation. Roofs were also renewed reaching a constructive solution ensuring watertightness.
Likewise works of cleaning and consolidation of the façade and of the walls of the cloister and S. Jerome chapel were also undertaken. The original wooden doors were also restored. All this work implied an investment by the Department of Culture and Tourism of more than 1 million Euros.
In relation to the works carried out at the Cathedral of Ciudad Rodrigo by the Atlantic Romanesque two objectives were accomplished: The preventive conservation of the religious building and the improvement of both dissemination and management. Therefore, one of the most emblematic spaces, the Puerta del Perdón Door was transformed into Information and Reception Point, housing an informative audiovisual screening standing out the artistic and evangelical values of the gothic portal and enabling the approach to the aims of the Atlantic Romanesque.
The cathedral of Ciudad Rodrigo has been added to the monitoring heritage system (MHS) of Santa María la Real, highlighting the importance given to the preventive conservation by the Atlantic Romanesque Plan. A network of 35 points of control, equipped with several sensors and devices was installed in order to control online, and at any moment, the condition of the cathedral, offering the precise information about features such as temperature, humidity, light, sun radiation, CO2 concentration and even warning if xylophages are detected.
The monitoring of the cathedral will allow the collection of real data about the conservation state and will enable to know exactly if elements like the humidity detected on the floor slabs and coverings during the winter, affect negatively the building and its property.
At the Sagrario Chapel benches with heating system have been installed as a preventive conservation action, thus offering more comfort to the worshippers and people who visit the cathedral daily. Also more efficient energy consumption is provided this way.
This work was co-funded by Iberdrola Foundation and the Department of Culture and Tourism of the Regional Government of Castile and Leon for a total amount of 300,000 Euros.
Lastly, focusing on the enhancement of heritage and in order to bring the society closer to the Atlantic Romanesque Plan, the book “Restoring is funny” was published. Several games and activities, aimed to make children understand, experience and enjoy heritage, were created on the basis of the image of the cathedral.
The construction of the cathedral of Ciudad Rodrigo, dedicated to Our Lady of Santa María began in the 12th century and continued throughout the 13th and 14th centuries. It has been initiated as a late Romanesque project and ended up as a big gothic building, with cruciform plant, 3 apses chevet chapel and crossing. It has three porticos, erected at different moments: To the north the 14th century Amayuelas Portico; to the south the Cadenas Portico which has a magnificent architectonic decoration and at the bottom of the cathedral the Perdón or la Gloria Portico, where we can find the Information Point at the present time. The cathedral of Santa Maria has been intelligently enhanced and it celebrates its 130 anniversary as Asset of Cultural Interest this year.
Moreover the general director pointed out that Castile and Leon Regional Government has been working on the conservation of this building with a significant historical investment of 5 million Euros.
