The Higher School of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Assets of Madrid (Escrbcm) has completed the restoration of the altarpiece of San Fabián and San Sebastián of the cathedral of Cuenca and has returned it to the temple.

The Iberdrola Spain Foundation signed the agreement with the Escrbcm in August 2019 with the aim of collaborating in the training of the School's students during the following two school years. Specifically, it has facilitated the practice of first-class treatment of cultural property.

The restoration work on these pieces has been directed by Professor Luis Priego. Basically, they have consisted of the dismantling and transfer to the School's facilities in Madrid, where students from different promotions have been able to participate in the restoration process, Iberdrola reported in a statement.

Among other actions, dry cleaning has been carried out with fine-haired brushes and pressurized air to remove accumulations of dirt. Likewise, the replacement of lost elements has been carried out by means of a pantograph, polychrome cleaning by means of mechanical and chemical procedures, and varnishing of these to guarantee their protection.

This Monday the Bishop of Cuenca, José María Yanguas Sanz; the dean president of the Cathedral Chapter, José Antonio Fernández Moreno; the president of the Iberdrola Spain Foundation, Fernando García, and the director of the Higher School of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Assets, Ruth Viñas.

The restoration began in 2019 but, due to the restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic and the closure of classrooms, it has taken almost three years to complete the restoration. The altarpiece of San Fabián and San Sebastián is a work by Diego de Tiedra, from the mid-16th century and owned by the Cuenca Cathedral.