The Cabildo Promotes Heritage Conservation with the Restoration of the Choir Railings at Las Catalinas in La Laguna
The grant, part of the Insular Historical Heritage Programme, represents an investment of €70,000
The Cabildo de Tenerife, through the Department of Historical Heritage, is restoring the choir railings of the Saint Catherine of Siena Convent in La Laguna. This initiative falls under the grants provided by the Insular Corporation as part of the Insular Historical Heritage Programme 2023-2027 and involves an investment of €70,000.
The Insular Director of Historical Heritage, Isabel de Esteban, states that “the Cabildo has developed a clear policy focused on the restoration, conservation, and promotion of our historical assets, aiming to enhance the rich cultural legacy of the island. Through this policy, respect for the past is encouraged, citizen participation is promoted, and the socioeconomic environment of our communities is revitalised.”
The choir railings, both upper and lower, are located in the Church of the Monastery of Saint Catherine of Siena, which has been declared a Asset of Cultural Interest in the category of monument. Their restoration will recover one of the most comprehensive and interesting propaganda programmes from the 17th century and early 18th century.
The artistic ensemble of the choir railing is composed of various elements, materials, and execution techniques, each presenting a range of different conditions that require distinct and individual treatment, as demonstrated in the presented project. The primary approach in this intervention will be conservation-restoration, executing the work with the utmost respect for the original piece. Necessary measures will be taken to maintain the artwork in an appropriate state of conservation while restoration treatments will be proposed to recover the lost areas of support or polychromy, all following preliminary studies and analyses to gain an accurate understanding of the artwork upon completion.
Furthermore, the authorship of the railing’s decoration is attributed to the esteemed artist, Cristóbal Hernández Quintana.
