BRINGING HERITAGE CLOSER. EVENINGS IN PAMPLONA CATHEDRAL.

5 September 2011

The Cathedral in the History of Navarre: the cathedral, the chapter, the institutions and the bishop
D. Luis Javier Fortún Pérez de Ciriza. Royal Academy of History

OPENING AND PRESENTATION OF THE COURSE

The Chair of Navarrese Heritage and Art of the University of Navarre gave the course Acercar el Patrimonio. Afternoons in Pamplona Cathedral, in the framework of the programme of the "Summer Courses of the Universities of Navarre 2011", sponsored by the Government of Navarre, under the direction of Professor Ricardo Fernández Gracia, Director of the said Chair, in partnership with the area of the Culture of Pamplona City Council and the Cathedral Chapter of Pamplona, on 5, 6 and 7 September 2011.

This is the second course that the Chair with the partnership of the City Council and the Cathedral Chapter is organising this year, in view of the extraordinary demand for the first course, which was unable to accommodate all those interested. In this second edition, the contents of the course have been adapted to the format of a summer course, with most of the lectures dealing with subjects that had not been analysed in the previous course, which was held between February and April in the Civivox Condestable.

The course, aimed at anyone interested in culture and heritage, addressed the knowledge of Pamplona Cathedral from a broad cultural point of view, encompassing its history, architecture, sculpture, painting, music and sumptuary arts. Using a method that combines theoretical and practical sessions with "in situ" visits to the main areas of the cathedral complex, such as the choir stalls in the presbytery of the church, the sacristy, the cloister and cloister and the different chapter rooms, some of which are not normally open to visitors, the different chronological moments that transformed the cathedral monument itself from the medieval period to the neoclassical period were analysed, as well as its interior enrichment through a series of choir stalls and altarpieces, together with the study of other artistic manifestations such as the sumptuary arts.

Most of the sessions were given in the Refectory of the cathedral complex itself by leading specialists in the subject from the Universities of Navarre, UNED of Pamplona, Complutense University of Madrid, the Chair de Patrimonio y Arte Navarro and the Royal Academy of History, in addition to the different guided tours of the different chapter rooms.

The opening of the course took place on Monday 5th September, the inaugural session of which was held at position by Mr. José Iribas Sánchez de Boada, Councillor of Education of the Government of Navarre, who recalled that the cathedral is a unique architectural ensemble, the most complete in Europe, a living stone, a witness to history, a spiritual space, the nucleus of the life of the city of Pamplona over the centuries, governed by the rhythm of its bells.Fermín Alonso Ibarra, Councillor Delegate for Education and Culture of Pamplona City Council, highlighted the interest shown in the course, with 285 participants, which demonstrates the interest of the citizens in approaching the historical, artistic, sociological, religious and future processes that are contained in the cathedral complex, which is surely the origin and, of course, a substantial part of our city. He was followed by M.I. Sr. Dean of Pamplona Cathedral, Don Carlos Ayerra, who welcomed all those attending to the exceptional conference room of the chapterhouse, the venue for most of the lectures of the course, and was joined by Don Francisco Javier Aizpún, Episcopal Vicar for Heritage of the Archbishopric of Pamplona and Don Ricardo Fernández Gracia, Director of the Chair de Patrimonio y Arte Navarro of the University of Navarre and director of this series, who highlighted the importance of knowing in order to value and protect cultural assets of singular relevance.

The Regional Minister of Education of the Government of Navarre, Mr José Iribas , opened the summer course in Pamplona Cathedral, together with the Councillor for Culture of Pamplona City Council, Mr Fermín Alonso Ibarra, the Dean of Pamplona Cathedral, Mr Carlos Ayerra, the Episcopal Vicar for Heritage of the Archbishopric of Pamplona, Mr Francisco Javier Aizpún and the director of the Chair of Heritage and Navarrese Art, Mr Ricardo Fernández Gracia.