A Living Treasure

arte.catedralvitoria.eus
The appearance of the cathedral today is entirely different from how it looked centuries ago, for the building was a place in which image and colour were at the service of liturgical paraphernalia whose sole purpose was to captivate the faithful. Its walls spoke, filled as they were with forms and colours, and accompanied by images and altarpieces, ephemeral structures for special celebrations in addition to tapestries and hangings that covered chapels and altars.
The architectural restoration process currently underway in the cathedral will not manage to recover all the works of movable art that formed part of this ensemble. Only a small number of choice pieces have been selected to partially adorn the building and be able to resume its religious and cultural life. The remaining objects have been safely stored in museums and other institutions.
The restoration master plan that was established back in 1999 already envisaged the recovery and study of its complete collection of furniture. An interdisciplinary project was therefore proposed involving various specialists to inventory, catalogue and assess the state of conservation of this entire heritage. This has helped us to discover many unknown aspects of the movable history of this building and to gradually restore the works most in need, thereby serving to reappraise this rich artistic ensemble.
The portable nature of movable art has meant that it has been more exposed to modifications, or it has been destroyed because of changes in taste and fashions or for other reasons. This cathedral has been no exception, as it has lost countless works of art that lined its walls throughout its long history. Nonetheless, we still preserve a significant artistic treasure that, although it remains scattered because of the restoration work underway, will one day once again adorn this church. Let us hope that this desire can be fulfilled and that the cathedral will recover a major part of its history and personality so that future generations can enjoy them in their entirety and significance.