Cathedral´s baroque chapter house gets a face-lift

The Chapter House of the Cathedral in Palma is being restored under the supervision of Eudald Guillamez of Andorra. Work has started on the tympanum over the door to the Chapter House, which is decorated with the Cathedral coat of arms. Pere Llabrés, who is in charge of the diocesan patrimony, described the Chapter House as “one of the gems of baroque architecture in the city.” The images on which the team of Eudald Guillamez is working have been blackened by dust and smoke and they are being cleaned by cellulose paste impregnated with organic solvents, which is then removed by demineralised water. The objective is to make soluble salts disappear. It is a simple operation because the state of the tympanum is good. Guilamez said that the stone was in very good state and the fineness of the features of the sculptures can be appreciated. The sculptures represent the Virgin with Child in arms, which occupy the centre of the tympanum. The upper part is decorated with vegetation and it was built during the 18th century. This is the first part of restoration work which will also include the vault, which is baroque and decorated with plant motifs, all sculpted in stone. The vault is elliptical. It was finished in the early part of the 18th century and forms the baroque part of the Cathedral museum.