Palencia’s San Hipólito el Real church shines with its new exterior illumination
- Fundación Iberdrola España collaborates with the Provincial Council of Palencia and the City Council of the town, as well as with the Diocese itself, assuming 40% of the total cost of the lighting, in this sustainable project, in which the provincial institution contributes 60% and Támara de Campos will be in charge of the maintenance of the new electrical infrastructure
The president of the Provincial Council of Palencia, Ángeles Armisén, the mayor of the Palencia town of Támara de Campos, María Concepción Gallardo, and the president of the Fundación Iberdrola España, Fernando García, inaugurated this afternoon, together with the bishop of the Diocese, Manuel Herrero, the new exterior lighting of the church of San Hipólito el Real in the Palencia town of Támara de Campos, in the presence of the director of the Fundación Iberdrola España, Ramón Castresana; the deputies of Area and Territorial Action, José Antonio Arija and Urbano Alonso; the heritage delegate of the Diocese, José Luis Calvo; the trustee of Fundación Iberdrola España, Germán Delibes, and the delegate of Iberdrola in Castilla y León, Miguel Calvo.
The Provincial Council of Palencia, the Town Council of Támara de Campos, and Fundación Iberdrola España have joined forces to carry out this lighting project, which will also contribute to sustainability and avoid CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. The Provincial Council has contributed 60% of the total amount of the project, the Fundación Iberdrola España contributes 40% and the Town Council of Támara de Campos will be responsible for the maintenance of the new electrical infrastructure.
Fundación Iberdrola wanted to enhance the value of the Palencia church with this innovative project. It has carried out a uniform lighting, of medium type, to avoid excess, respecting the environment and reducing light pollution.
The new lighting applies the most advanced LED technology that accentuates the beauty of the architectural elements that make up the whole through a design that respects the heritage and spiritual values of the church. The total installed power is 1580W, only 18 projectors have been necessary and ensure the sustainability of the installation over time.
The replacement and renovation of the lighting in the Church of Támara de Campos is another example of Iberdrola’s commitment to Castilla y León and of its permanent aim to promote the social value of the culture, origin, and conservation of the historical and artistic heritage of the region.
Institutional commitment to the province’s heritage
For years, the Provincial Institution has been collaborating with the Diocese of Palencia in the opening and diffusion of monuments. In this field, it is worth mentioning the Church of San Hipólito, a temple that is part of this agreement that aims to facilitate the access of tourists to these temples, which are undoubtedly a reference at a historical and artistic level.
The church of San Hipólito is a building of great proportions, built in the 14th century, in Gothic style, with Renaissance and Baroque additions. Its impressive tower stands out, in the Herrerian style, built in the 17th century after the collapse of the Gothic tower in 1568. It has been declared an Asset of Cultural Interest (BIC) since 1991 in the category of historical-artistic monument.
In addition, the temple has the presence of an Iberian organ of 45 notes that sound 26 half registers. This organ is part of the Provincial Organ School of Palencia (EPOP), an institution with which the Provincial Council of Palencia collaborates to promote an organ culture that favors the conservation of this valuable instrumental heritage in society.
During this year, up to the Easter holiday, 8,508 national and international tourists visited the church of San Hipólito.
Iberdrola, with the promotion of art and culture
One of Iberdrola’s main areas of action, through its foundation in Spain, focuses on the care, conservation, and enhancement of historical and artistic wealth.
The main objective of the Illuminations Program is to develop interventions in singular buildings to install or improve their interior and/or exterior lighting systems in order to contribute to the enhancement of their heritage.
Since 2011, the volume of investment allocated to the Illuminations Program has amounted to more than 3 million euros and has involved improvements of over 40 monuments in Spain, including the Cathedral of Avila, the interior of the Cathedral of Palencia and the New Cathedral of Salamanca, the historic Roman Bridge of Alcántara, in Cáceres, or the facade of the Congress of Deputies, the Palace of the Supreme Court, in Madrid, the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela and the Cathedral of Sigüenza.