The Cardinal Archbishop of Valencia, Antonio Cañizares, the President of Les Corts Valencianes, Enric Morera, the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Vicent Soler, and the Chairman of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, attended the lighting ceremony.

38 LED projectors and other same technology devices have been installed, as well as a control system with touchscreen for programming the illumination of the altarpiece by scenes or areas of the chapel

The new lighting will reduce electricity consumption by more than 60% and CO2 emissions by around 2.5 tons per year

Iberdrola has inaugurated the new lighting of the Chapel of the Holy Chalice of Valencia Cathedral, after having completed an extensive updating process according to the needs and importance of this 14th century chapel.

The Chairman of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán, and Cardinal Archbishop, Antonio Cañizares, took part in the lighting ceremony of the ornamental illumination of the chapel, which will help reduce electricity consumption by more than 60% and CO2 emissions by around 2.5 tons per year. Also in attendance were the President of Les Corts Valencianes, Enric Morera, and the Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Vicent Soler.

During his speech, Ignacio Galán pointed out that the work undertaken in the Chapel of the Holy Chalice is one of the most important of the lighting programme carried out by Iberdrola through its Foundation in Spain, and is part of the company’s commitment to the economic and social development of all the territories in which it operates.

“Here is a good part of the roots of Iberdrola and our current and future activity”, the Iberdrola Chairman affirmed. “In recent years we have invested 5 billion Euros in energy infrastructure and made purchases worth 4.3 billion Euros from thousands of suppliers in the region.”

Galán also stressed how the work had been completed applying the most modern technologies with minimum use of space, enhancing the different uses of the chapel and ensuring the sustainability of the installation, one of the priority objectives for the company, which is firmly committed to care of the environment and the fight against climate change.

Lighting project in detail

In 2016, Fundación Iberdrola España and the Cathedral Chapter signed an agreement to update the lighting of the Chapel of the Holy Chalice, thus continuing a collaboration that began in 1999 with the lighting of Valencia Cathedral.

The company has installed a total of 38 projectors and 28 metres of more efficient and sustainable LED technology strips, substantially improving the overall lighting of the space. Two specific lights for the reading area have been added and the fluorescent lights of the niche of the Holy Chalice replaced.

In addition, the versatility of this new installation allows partial illumination of the chapel, so daily power use will be less. A control system with touchscreen for programming the illumination of the altarpiece by scenes or areas of the chapel has also been installed.

The project has used an ornamental design centred on a series of elements: ribbed vault, alabaster altarpiece front, niche of the Holy Chalice, contrasting illumination from the altarpiece, illumination of the altar area and general illumination of the chapel.

This design combines cold white and warm white lighting to highlight specific elements and the existing rails have been reused respecting their location, having minimal effect therefore on the walls.

The project also included the cleaning of the alabaster altarpiece before its illumination.

About the Chapel of the Holy Chalice of Valencia Cathedral

The Chapel of the Holy Chalice was built between 1365 and 1369. Measuring 13 m wide and 16 m high it is covered by a high star-shaped groin vault whose ribs reach downwards until resting on the polychrome corbels. In 1916, the Holy Chalice was moved to the chapter hall which became the current chapel. The chapel is in the flowery Gothic style (14th century). It has a square design and smooth walls of carved stone. In the keystones of the vault are the 12 Apostles and in the central keystone the Coronation of the Virgin in heaven after the Assumption, the main mystery of this Cathedral.

This space was not affected by the neoclassical reform of the 18th century and in it was placed the alabaster altarpiece, the old choir entrance (15th century). In the walls you can see the Adoration of the Kings, a fresco painting by Nicolas Florentino (1472), and the chains that closed the port of Marseilles which were brought by Alfonso V the Magnanimous in the 15th century.