The Huesca court gives the MNAC seven months to move the paintings from Sijena to Aragon.

BarcelonaSeven months. This is the deadline the MNAC has to move the paintings from Sijena to the chapter house of the Vilanova de Sijena monastery. Rocío Pilar Vargas, the judge of the Court of First Instance and Investigation No. 2 of Huesca, has issued the order for the final execution of the 2016 ruling upheld two months ago by the Supreme Court, and against which no appeal can be filed.

The seven-month deadline for the dismantling, packing, and moving operations coincides with the schedule proposed by the government of AragonHowever, the judge has granted a ten-day period for the MNAC to present an alternative proposal. The text of the ruling admits that it is "a particularly complex execution" and that immediate compliance "is not possible" due to "the nature and patrimonial value of the assets to be returned." From now on, once the order is received, the MNAC has the opportunity to assert an alternative with technical reports and arguments. For the National Art Museum, the important thing is not the schedule, but rather "the extreme fragility" of the works and the irreversible damage the paintings could suffer during the "arduous and complicated procedures necessary to comply with the resolution." And now, with the new ten-day period, it can try to convince the judge because, as sources at the MNAC say, "now is the time to propose an alternative," emphasizing "the technical difficulty and risks" that the transfer would entail.

The Minister of Culture, Sònia Hernández Almodóvar, explained that the MNAC's advisors are analyzing the Huesca court's ruling, which she considers "an absolutely normal occurrence" at the current stage of the proceedings. "It falls within the realm of normality and expectation; it's not an exceptional event," the minister said.

The lawyer for the Vilanova de Sijena City Council, Jorge Español, has asked for the paintings to be handed over "step by step" and does not rule out the possibility of a restoration. in situ of the paintings before they are moved, even considering it unlikely that the transfer can be carried out within seven months. in situ could take one or two years. Therefore, he asked for trust in the MNAC technicians, who "are the most competent and the best in the world."

Access to the MNAC galleries

The president of the Aragonese government, Jorge Azcón, has said he hopes that "the ruling is carried out" and that "the Generalitat stops putting spokes in the wheels and clinging to legal subterfuges that are not viable." "The judge proves for the umpteenth time that the mural paintings of Sijena belong to the Aragonese. Furthermore, she agrees with us on everything: that it is possible for the paintings to come to Aragon, and within the time frame that the Aragonese government requested: seven months," adds Azcón, "satisfied and happy because justice in this country.

The judge's ruling also includes a decree of executive measures also requested by the Aragonese government, such as allowing technicians designated by Aragon to access rooms 16 and 17 of the MNAC (where the Sijena paintings are located) for as long as necessary and behind closed doors (without the public being able to enter). According to the court's order, the MNAC must allow access to all documentation relating to the works, as well as to data on environmental conservation (temperature and relative humidity) while they are on display. The court adds that, as a first action by the Aragonese government, the MNAC will allow a study to be carried out Photogrammetric analysis of rooms 16 and 17 with all the fragments on display.

The ruling also refers to the fact that the Aragon government requested the imposition of fines of 5,000 euros per day in the event of non-compliance with the established weekly milestones. However, the judge states that "at this stage of the proceedings, the imposition of monetary fines is not considered appropriate, without prejudice to what may be agreed upon later, throughout the execution."