The Aragón government is counting on the complete cooperation of the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya (MNAC) for the relocation of murals to the Sijena monastery. They believe that MNAC's technicians are best suited for this task, despite the warnings from these experts about the high risks due to the poor condition of the paintings. Aragón’s Culture Minister, Tomasa Hernández, is confident this Friday that, in her opinion, they will arrive in optimal condition.

In a TV3 interview on Friday, Hernández stated that Aragón's technicians would only participate in the transfer if MNAC's experts, as she put it, refuse to comply with the court ruling. "We trust the transfer will happen promptly, with total collaboration from the museum, executing a flawless process, as they are equipped for this. They have done it before," she remarked.

Hernández acknowledged the operation's delicate nature, drawing parallels to previous transfers to Barcelona in 1936 and 1960. She emphasized the need for technicians to be "perfectly aligned" to prevent any damage to the murals, which, she insisted, does not imply impossibility. The chapter house at the Sijena Monastery is ready for the murals' arrival.

Support for MNAC from Barcelona

During a Barcelona plenary session on Friday, initiated by the Junts municipal group with backing from PSC, comunes, and ERC, an Institutional Declaration was approved to support MNAC against the court order mandating the mural transfer. PP and Vox did not endorse it. The declaration, comprising three points, acknowledges the museum's "professionalism and rigor" in safeguarding heritage for decades, expresses concern about the precedent the judicial decision sets for heritage management and conservation, and urges prioritizing scientific and technical criteria over other considerations. Registered urgently by Junts councilor Joan Rodríguez, the text affirms MNAC as a "pillar of Barcelona and Catalonia's museological, cultural, and artistic heritage."

The declaration highlights the frescoes as a "prime example of the museum's art collection and a testament to the preserved Romanesque art." It warns of the "worrisome precedent" the ruling establishes, ignoring technical criteria that have ensured the murals' preservation for decades with maximum assurance, and alerts of potential "irreversible risks" from their relocation.

Vox, represented by Liberto Senderos, expressed support for the Supreme Court and the rule of law. "We urge coherence and caution against contradictions like not returning paintings to Sijena while expecting the Salamanca archives to be restored."