The ”la Caixa” Foundation and the Generalitat are collaborating to recover 11 Catalan Gothic monuments

The "la Caixa" Foundation and the Department of Culture of the Generalitat are collaborating to recover eleven monuments of Catalan heritage through the Temps de Gòtic program. The project, fully financed by the "la Caixa" Foundation, has an endowment of 6.34 million euros. The aim of the program is to enhance, improve and preserve Catalonia's Gothic heritage through the restoration, protection and dissemination of this heritage, while stimulating the territory and dynamizing it at a cultural, social and economic level.

The first of the actions of this project to see the light of day is that of the Seu de Manresa (Barcelona), of which the Florentine front has been fully restored. On the other hand, the construction project of the old Episcopal Palace, today the Girona Art Museum, is being completed, for which it is planned to create a new cover for the throne room, with adaptation of the adjacent skylight and will be performances on the other decks. A new access will also be created for the removal of architectural barriers.

The project to restore the Gothic cloister of the Monastery of Santes Creus in Aiguamúrcia (Tarragona), and the restoration of a section of the Wall of Tortosa, is in the bidding phase of the works. The rest of the performances in this program will be in: the Church of Sant Llorenç in Lleida, in the Old Hospital of Cervelló (Barcelona), the Church of Santa Maria in Plaça de Sanaüja (Lleida), the Church of Sant Domènec de Girona, the Castle of Valencia d'Àneu in Alt Aneu (Lleida), as well as the Cathedral of Santa Maria and the Royal Colleges of Sant Jaume and Sant Maties de Tortosa (Tarragona), which are still in phase approval of the project.

Close collaboration during the last 14 years

Since 2008, the Department of Culture of the Generalitat and the "la Caixa" Foundation have worked hand in hand to recover Catalan heritage through four major collaboration programs aimed at enhancing some of the most valuable and emblematic monuments of Catalonia. In total, the entity has earmarked 34 million euros to recover Catalan heritage through the Open Romanesque projects (81 monuments and 18.27 million), Cellers Cooperatius (8 wineries and 3.62 million), Temps de Gòtic (11 monuments and 6.34 million) and Heritage in Action (11 actions and 5.8 million), the last two currently in force. These programs were also born to promote the use and knowledge of this heritage and offer all citizens a different way of seeing and experiencing it through the direct action of rehabilitation, restoration and improvement of services.