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date: 17/05/2012 latest update: 15/05/2012
Who are we?
Sunset view of the tower from Burullerías square.
View of the Cathedral from the South of the Historical Centre of Vitoria-Gasteiz.
Church keys on the wooden stairs that lead up into the tower.
View from the South of the octogon and the spire on the tower against a blue evening sky.
The Santa María Cathedral Foundation is an institution that was created to manage and develop the proposals included in the Master Plan for the Integral Restoration of the most well-known and historically significant temple of the city of Vitoria-Gasteiz. It was formally constituted at the end of 1999 by the Diputación Foral of Alava (the provincial governing body) and the Diocese of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The Foundation is a not-for-profit body whose board includes representatives from these institutions.
The development of the project, initially intended to last between 2000 and 2012, has to continually adapt to new realities due to the complexity of the problems that have been detected in the Cathedral as the works advance, always following the rigorous methodology and the aims outlined by the Master Plan. The quality of this Plan has been recognised by, amongst others, the European Union, the Vatican, the Spanish Ministry of Culture and other prestigious national and international fora, and has become a benchmark for excellence in monument restoration. The project has also received the Europa Nostra Prize (2002), which is the highest European award for recovery and conservation of Cultural Heritage.
The research carried out during these years has generated great in-depth knowledge of the building traits of the temple and its history, defining the interventions needed to solve the problems that have been detected along the way. Also, this rigorous methodological process has resulted in hugely valuable information about the origins of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The model of management that the Foundation operates by has been exported to other institutions, as a work method.
The Santa María Cathedral Foundation not only manages the architectural restoration of the Cathedral; it also develops cultural, educational and tourist activities to bring value to the temple as an instrument to stimulate public participation and bring life back to the historical centre of the city. Some of the most outstanding amongst these activities, as well as the guided tours to the restoration works, are specialized congresses, meetings and seminars; encounters and conferences with prestigious writers; the production of musical concerts, theatre plays, exhibitions and publications; or the organization of workshops and courses on traditional trades and crafts.
This multiplicity of angles is what defines the integral character of the project. Their combination allows the Santa María Cathedral Foundation and its project to generate a wealth of benefits that extend into all areas: monument restoration, urban regeneration, promoting culture and tourism, scientific development and research, educational incentives, historic recovery, while boosting citizens' self-esteem and stimulating economic and social action.
The whole process aims to consolidate the activities generated around the Cathedral, turning the building into an active and stable element within city life. By developing all of its potential uses, some of which have already been successfully initiated, we intend to also stimulate an attitude of permanent care and maintenance towards the Cathedral, which is necessary to guarantee its future conservation.
Finally, it is important to note that recovering the nature of the Cathedral as a Temple that is open for worship will restore the main use for which it was originally built.
The Project to Restore Santa María Cathedral in Vitoria-Gasteiz is conceived, therefore, as a living plan that is open to all:
• For worshippers
• For lovers of History, Art and Culture
• For specialists and researchers from scientific or technological fields and universities who work with Heritage.
• For people who wish to enjoy a new type of cultural tourism.
• For workers, professionals and entrepreneurs of Heritage restoration.
• For public institutions and private companies who support an innovative management project.
• For the residents who benefit from the urban, social and cultural restoration of a Historical Centre of great beauty.
• For people who find in the Cathedral a response to their religious, intellectual and emotional experience.
• For people from Vitoria and its province, Alava, who are proud to own a historical and emotional link with their past, and an international benchmark in Cultural Heritage.
• For Vitoria-Gasteiz. For Álava. For the Basque Country... and for all.
