• The works have been carried out by the Escuela Superior de Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Culturales de Madrid.
• The Fundación Iberdrola España has defrayed the costs of the recovery of the altarpiece of San Fabián and San Sebastián and the work is already in the temple.

The Escuela Superior de Conservación y Restauración de Bienes Culturales de Madrid (Escrbcm) has completed the restoration of the altarpiece of San Fabián y San Sebastián of the Cathedral of Cuenca and has returned it to the temple.

Fundación Iberdrola España signed the agreement with Escrbcm in August 2019 to collaborate in the training of the School’s students during the following two academic years. Specifically, it has facilitated the practice of treatment of the first-rate cultural property.

The restoration work on these pieces has been directed by Professor Luis Priego. They consisted of the dismantling and transfer to the School’s facilities in Madrid, where students from different classes were able to participate in the restoration process.

Among other actions, dry cleaning has been carried out with fine-haired brushes and pressurized air to remove accumulations of dirt. Also, the replacement of lost elements by a pantograph, the cleaning of polychromes through mechanical and chemical procedures, and the varnishing of these to ensure their protection.

This morning the ceremony was attended by Monsignor José María Yanguas Sanz, Bishop of Cuenca; José Antonio Fernández Moreno, Dean-President of the Cathedral Chapter; Fernando García Sánchez, president of the Fundación Iberdrola España; and Ruth Viñas Lucas, director of the School of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage.

The restoration began in 2019 but, due to the restrictions of the Covid 19 pandemic and the closure of the classrooms, it has taken almost three years to complete the restoration. The Altarpiece of Saint Fabian and Saint Sebastian is a work by Diego de Tiedra, dating from the mid-16th century and owned by the Cathedral of Cuenca.

This collaboration of Fundación Iberdrola España is another example of its commitment to the promotion, recovery, and conservation of historical and artistic heritage, as well as supporting the training of a new generation of professionals capable of driving the transformation towards a sustainable energy model.

Fundación Iberdrola with culture

Since its creation, Iberdrola has been committed to the energy, cultural and social development of the communities in which it is present. In this regard, Fundación Iberdrola España represents a further step in this commitment by promoting initiatives that contribute to improving people’s quality of life. One of the Foundation’s main areas of action focuses on the care, maintenance, and promotion of art and culture.

This project adds up to the others that the company has carried out in Castilla-La Mancha in recent years, including the illuminations of the Monastery of Uclés, the Basilica of Nuestra Señora del Prado in Talavera de la Reina, and the Plaza Mayor in Sigüenza, among others, as well as exhibition projects such as El Prado en las calles.