Photography: António Almeida
Guarded by the National Palace of Mafra and belonging to the Church of Santo André, the frontal panels in tooled leather, with more than 400 years and of high patrimonial value, are being restored.
As the Directorate-General for Cultural Heritage (DGPC) recently explained to the Lusa agency, when they became part of the reserves of the National Palace of Mafra, the floral fronts and zoomorphic decoration were in “considerable state of degradation” and this process only managed to be delayed due to the “good conditions of storage and air conditioning offered by the monument”.
best practices in conservation and restoration will be applied: legibility, compatibility and reversibility
The DGPC also admits that, due to the very special characteristics of these frontal panels, “the process and restoration is complex”. In a first phase, a close link between the National Palace of Mafra (through its conservator-restorer) and the José de Figueiredo Laboratory, which is also part of the Directorate-General for Heritage, is necessary. In the second phase, consultations will be held with conservators and restorers specialized in tooled leather, as this type of material involves the leather being treated, carved, ornamented, artistically worked and garnished with gold or silver.
After this restoration process, which follows a cooperation between the two entities in heritage conservation actions that had already taken place, the altar will be part of the Interpretative Center of Mafra, which is being assembled by Mafra Council in Quinta da Raposa.
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