Works uncover original Renaissance paintings in government HQ building
850m2 of 20th-century canvases being removed from walls of palace that dates back to 1596
Original Renaissance paintings have been uncovered during the works to remove paintings covering the walls and ceiling of the Saló Sant Jordi room in the Catalan government headquarters building in Barcelona.
The paintings being removed date back to 1926, during the era of military dictator Primo de Rivera, and they are covering works that date back to around the time that the building was constructed in 1596.
Josep Girabal, an official in Catalonia's presidency ministry, highlighted that the room in which the Renaissance paintings are being uncovered is the "most emblematic space of the Catalan government headquarters building" and explained that the maintenance job is aimed at enhancing "the values of Renaissance architecture."
It is planned that all the covering paintings will be removed by December 28 and that by August 2024, after a second phase of work, "the hall will recover the essence of the Renaissance."
Girabal also explained that the criterion set by a commission of experts outlined that the project should have been reversible, as in, the paintings being removed should be done so in a way that they can be preserved in a museum at a future date if necessary. However, as the paintings were done on the wall, this was not possible when they are removed.
Therefore, the government official said, that "we have to choose whether to restore the original Renaissance paintings or decorative paintings from 1926."
The deputy general director of works and services of the department of the presidency believes that Renaissance paintings have much more value than those of the 20th century.