• The switch-on ceremony was attended by the Bishop of Salamanca, Carlos López; the chairman of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán; the mayor of Salamanca, Carlos García Carbayo; the dean-president of the Cathedral Chapter, Florentino Gutiérrez, and the president of Fundación Iberdrola España, Fernando García.
• The most highly-advanced LED technology was used to draw attention to the vaulted ceilings in the lateral and central naves, the transept and the lantern tower and also to highlight specific items in the main chapel and altar.
• The refurbishment project, which has a total installed power of 6.9 kilowatts (kW), has improved the energy efficiency by 87%.

Salamanca. This afternoon, Fundación Iberdrola inaugurated the interior decorative lighting in Salamanca’s New Cathedral after carrying out meticulous refurbishment and installing a new lighting system to give greater prominence to the most important elements of this church, which has been declared a Cultural Heritage Site.

This refurbished lighting inside the New Cathedral will improve energy efficiency by 87%, the switch-on ceremony of which was attended by the Bishop of Salamanca, Carlos López; the chairman of Iberdrola, Ignacio Galán; the mayor of Salamanca, Carlos García Carbayo; the dean-president of the Catgedral Chapter, Florentino Gutiérrez, and the president of Fundación Iberdrola España, Fernando García.

Iberdrola’s chairman affirmed that this work was part of its Illumination Programme, “for which we allocate significant resources with the principle objective of preserving and conserving special buildings to contribute to enhancing the rich heritage of our country. The New Cathedral in Salamanca is one of the most important examples of the unique cultural heritage in this wonderful city”.

He went on to underline: “With this project, we are not only contributing to the artistic and cultural assets within the regions in which we operate, but we are also helping to boost their economies and promote care for the environment by using the most efficient technologies”.

The company has used the most highly-advanced LED technology, with 6.9 kilowatts (kW) total installed power, to draw attention to the vaulted ceilings in the lateral and central naves, the transept and the lantern tower and also to highlight specific items in the main chapel and altar.

The work entailed fitting 144 spotlights and 1,400 metres of wiring, which was expertly installed so as to not be visible to visitors to the triforia that encircle the cathedral’s naves.

Iberdrola’s strong commitment to Castilla y León

The interior decorative lighting of Salamanca’s New Cathedral is another example of Fundación Iberdrola’s commitment to Castilla y León and its enduring mission to promote the social value of the region’s culture and protect and conserve its historical-artistic heritage.

The company has close historical links with this region, in which it serves more than one and a half million customers. It has a generating capacity of over 5,700 megawatts (MW), almost all of which is from renewables, from wind farms such as Sierra de Dueña to large complexes such as the Aldeadávila hydroelectric plant, both of which are located in Salamanca province.

Almost 1,000 professionals -more than 200 in the province of Salamanca. This influence is also reflected in the nearly 100 million euros invested in this region last year, purchases from almost 800 local suppliers, worth 165 million euros, and a tax contribution of over 230 million euros.

Construction of the New Cathedral in Salamanca began in the 16th century and the works took over 200 years to complete; despite this, its original late Gothic style has been preserved throughout the whole structure. At the request of the Cathedral Chapter, the Catholic Monarchs were initially involved in developing the construction of the cathedral, with successive bishops subsequently acting as the main developer. The great master architects who directed the works for almost two and a half centuries include, among others, Juan and Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón, Juan de Álava, Juan Setién Güemes, Pantaleón Pontón, the Churriguera brothers and Juan de Sagarbinaga.