Restoration at San Isidoro de León

On the 3rd of last year, the presentation ceremony of the restoration of the paintings of the Royal Pantheon of San Isidoro de León.

The intervention was presented by Ms. Mar Sancho, Vice-Minister of Culture of the Junta de Castilla y León, the Bishop of León, Monsignor Luis Ángel de las Heras and the Abbot of San Isidoro, Francisco Rodríguez. The intervention was directed and financed by the Junta de Castilla y León, and its execution was carried out by GRANDA's Conservation-Restoration department.

The paintings of San Isidoro date from the 12th century and are one of the most important artistic ensembles of the Spanish Romanesque. The intervention consisted of the restoration and consolidation of the mural paintings of the Royal Pantheon. The surface alterations were cleaned by chemical-mechanical procedures to eliminate runoff and other residues from previous interventions. Likewise, the pictorial layers were fixed and the adhesion of the layers was reinforced by injection consolidation, adaptation of all the perimeter reinforcements and reintegration of mortars.

The result of the restoration shows sharper paintings with the original colors more defined and natural. Color reintegration has been avoided in order to show the original image without any additions.

This restoration has also served to significantly expand the material knowledge of this mural ensemble through its analytical study and new image treatments. This research work has provided interesting data, such as the identification of the remains of coverings preserved in the Pantheon of Infantes, which show different construction and ornamental moments, thus contributing to the documentation of the evolution of these unique spaces.