From a Roman ring to a monumental baroque altarpiece, a medieval manuscript with its seals, or a large tapestry, if it can be transported it is considered "movable heritage".

Those primarily responsible for conservation were the authors themselves. They took into account its aging from the moment the work was no more than an idea, a project. They looked for the best materials according to their possibilities, they knew the techniques of elaboration, transmitted generation after generation, and they knew that the fruit of their work was going to be something that would last in time. This knowledge of techniques and materials meant that they were called upon to "repair", "compose", "decorate" or "refresh" paintings, altarpieces, pieces of silverware, and even ancient sculptures extracted from archaeological sites. Sometimes those who entered into the work were more or less skilled people, lovers of heritage, with very good will, but little knowledge. This combination does not always lead to good results, especially if it is accompanied by great pretensions. Numerous examples are well known, some of them very close to home.

Nowadays, conservation and restoration have their parallels in medicine: in both cases a solid training is needed, respect for the patient, and one must continue learning throughout life. Given the complexity of each field, work is done by specialties: treating a heart attack is not the same as treating a bone fracture, nor is restoring a piece of archaeological origin the same as restoring a medieval parchment. 

To get an idea of what has been the restoration of movable heritage in Navarre over the centuries, we can see what the works themselves tell us. Taking a look at the thousands of pieces kept at storeroom of Archaeology, it is possible to see that many works, from vessels to mosaics, show clear signs of having been restored while in use, almost two millennia ago. There are also written references: one of the oldest in the cathedral of Pamplona. After the collapse of 1390, the painter Alfonso took the altarpiece of San Luis to his workshop, where he restored it in three days. We do not know the altarpiece, we do not know if it was very large or the extent of the damage, which makes it impossible to get an approximate idea of work. In Tudela, in 1611, the main altarpiece of the cathedral was cleaned, and the doors were removed (those fashions, how much we have lost at their expense...). Somewhat later, in 1617, the main workman was paid for scaffolding, cleaning and fastening the fittings of the main altarpiece. It took him 3 days assisted by two journeymen. They detected numerous faults, which were repaired in 1669 by the illustrious painter Vicente Berdusán. Nowadays, when the restoration of a great altarpiece implies a very meticulous previous programs of study , and also a meticulous work that is carried out on the work, it is surprising that they only took three days. Magical figure. work The last restoration of this altarpiece, carried out between 1999 and 2001, involved the combined efforts of more than 20 people, including technicians and collaborators, who worked for three years on an exemplary work.

Until 1940 the heritage of Navarre received the usual care from those who lived with it. This continued to be the case for most of the movable art, but the date is important because it marks the beginning of a stage of professionalization and systematization of restorations. Between the 1940s and 1960s, restorers from the Prado Museum's board de Conservación de Obras de Arte (Conservation of Works of Art) went to Navarre every summer to treat the main altarpieces. They also intervened on paintings, such as the large canvases by Paret of Santa María de Viana, which, after being intervened in 1945, are now in the workshops of the Prado Museum receiving new care in order to look splendid in the next exhibition.

The criterion applied for the selection of the works was, and still is, that of their importance and state of conservation. The first altarpiece they restored was the main altarpiece of La Oliva, which after the disentailment had been taken to the Recoletas of Tafalla, and is currently in San Pedro de Tafalla. After that, many others were restored. They also transferred the Flemish Triptych of Roncesvalles and the Gothic panel of the Crucifixion from the Cathedral of Pamplona to the workshop of the Prado Museum. The Institución Príncipe de Viana summarizes its activity in Los Trabajos y los Días, pointing out that both the town and the parish priest assume the expenses, without indicating the cost or deadline employed. We do not have any reports of the work either here or in the Prado Museum. 

financial aid Unfortunately, in order to show off the altarpieces, it became fashionable to "remove the stone", an action that, in addition to being considered today a very serious destruction of the historical coatings of a building, does nothing to enhance the enjoyment of our temples, which are left bare. Nevertheless, ancient figurative mural painting was highly appreciated. While some churches were being chopped up without suspecting that under the lime and the modern cuttings there was a treasure, numerous mural groups were being torn out and restored for the Museum of Navarre, starting with the Palace of Oriz.

In addition to the disastrous chopping, all the furnishings considered expendable were removed. The reasons for this removal were based on liturgical criteria, the result of an incorrect interpretation of the provisions of Vatican II, and also aesthetic, such as the alleged unity of style that, with the stroke of a pen, erased the traces of our predecessors through the centuries. For some years now we have been trying to remedy this, and thus, in the last restoration of Ujué we recovered some of the elements removed in previous restorations. Others were lost forever.

The activity of the technicians of the Prado Museum enriches the activity of artisans such as the Istúriz family in Navarre, who were not only the last altarpiece builders, but also restorers. In addition, in 1951 a carpentry workshop specialized in heritage was installed in the Museum of Navarre. Organized by the Institución Príncipe de Viana, it began to work on the restoration of the choirs of Sangüesa and Puente la Reina.  

In the 1950s, and with the Monjardín cross as the protagonist, the restoration of silverware began in Madrid. Goldsmiths were traditionally in charge of "composing" these pieces. They are also the artisans of the restorations of images covered with silver, being the Virgin of Ujué the first one to be intervened. This tradition of having the silversmiths themselves restore the works of art has been maintained to the present day. Their forte is the knowledge of the materials and goldsmithing techniques, but with the disadvantage of not having, in most cases, knowledge of Art History or criteria of evaluation of the heritage. This has often led to the irreversible loss of silversmith's marks, original gilding, enamels, and even the loss of antique elements integrated into a later work, additions and false historical ones. work Fortunately, it is becoming more and more common for goldsmiths, restorers and historians to work together to get the best out of each other and recover beautiful pieces in the most successful way. 

From the mid 1950's the Museum of Navarra had a restoration department laboratory that exclusively dealt with archaeological material. This decade saw a true revolution with the arrival of mechanization in the countryside, not only in agriculture, but also in heritage. The greater depth at which the machines worked brought to light numerous archaeological sites with their corresponding grave goods, displayed in museums after laborious restoration processes. In 1964 Diario de Navarra reported that a painting and sculpture restoration workshop laboratory was being installed, complementing the activity already being carried out by the archaeology workshop. The Museum's workshop, which began restoring its own collections, was increasingly dealing with works of art from all corners of Navarre.

These years coincide with the end of the link with the Prado Museum. In Navarre there were already several restoration workshops that supplemented their work at the request of the owners, who, from 1985 onwards, received an estimated 15 million pesetas a year from the Government of Navarre at financial aid . Thanks to this public support, over the following years hundreds of altarpieces, paintings, sculptures, organs and mural paintings were restored under the supervision of the Museum's restorer.

The 1980s and 1990s were another turning point. It was then that a restoration process took place, closely followed by internationally renowned specialists. In 1982, research began on the restoration of the Aralar enamels, recovered after the theft in 1979. They study the wood of the support, the possible original disposition of pieces, the way to straighten the plates damaged during the robbery, the cleaning, and the fixation of the enamels themselves. Directed by the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris, the work was successfully completed in 1992 with the assembly and installation at Aralar, this time with improved security measures. 

The transfer of competencies in Culture from the Ministry to the Communities turns the tables. Navarra, which had been at the forefront with the Institución Príncipe de Viana, was left behind. While the rest of the communities are creating Conservation and Restoration Services and Centers, in spite of the great restorations of the first decade of this century, we have stopped advancing. Even so, improvements can be seen. The most evident is the load of knowledge generated with each restoration and the interest in making it known, thanks to the first generations of restorers with university training established in Navarra. Currently, there are only a handful of restorers who leave their souls in each intervention, developing their work with great professionalism. Being so close to a work of art, during so many hours of concentration, translates into a very deep knowledge if the work is done in a conscious way, with scientific methodology, documenting as never before each intervention and each piece, to finally spread it and enrich the History of Art. We only need to be aware of the wealth we have to continue caring for our heritage as our elders did, and pass it on to our children.