Aragon accuses the MNAC of "neglect" regarding the Sijena paintings: "If it were part of Catalan heritage, they would have preferred it."

BarcelonaThe government of Aragon accuses the MNAC of having acted with "negligence" and "lack of diligence" in the care of the mural paintings of Sijena and maintains that it is "safer" to install them in the monastery than to keep them in Barcelona. As reported by ACN, the preliminary results of the reports prepared by Aragonese technicians indicate a "lack of maintenance," "direct" effects due to humidity in some fragments, and the presence of dirt—such as cigarette butts, insects, or debris—behind the scenes, within the support structures of the paintings. "The conservation of the paintings has not met the necessary and desirable standards. If it were Catalan heritage, they would have preferred it, but it belongs to the Aragonese," stated the Director General of Culture of Aragon, Pedro Olloqui.

The two reports presented in Zaragoza this Tuesday by the Aragonese conservators and restorers will now be transferred to the Huesca court that ordered the return of the paintingsThe analysis based on the technicians' visit to the MNAC at the end of July concludes that the condition of the paintings is "stable" and that this allows them to be moved "without extraordinary risks." "There is no generalized pathology that would prevent their transfer," Olloqui said.

In this regard, the Government of Aragon is proposing to dismantle the group into 72 fragments to guarantee maximum safety conditions for the operation and reiterates its request to the MNAC to begin the dismantling, packaging, and transfer work in compliance with the ruling. Conservator-restorer Natalia Martínez de Pisón, director of the Aragonese technical teams, has announced that once installed in Sijena, "an intervention will be necessary" on the paintings due to their increasing deterioration in recent years.

Threat of new complaints

The Aragonese government has defended the reports as having been "brilliantly" conducted by Aragonese technicians "of the highest national and international standing." Olloqui stated that the analysis debunks the "self-serving, idealized, and mythologized" narrative surrounding the conservation of the Sijena paintings at the MNAC and has opened the door to future denunciation actions.

"The water leaks are the result of unstable conditions at the MNAC facilities, and neither the leaks nor the repairs carried out there were confirmed or reported by the MNAC management or the Catalan institutions. This is a very serious matter and must be denounced. We will address it in the future if necessary."