Meeting up during Christmas is a classic move for Patrimonio para Jòvenes. This time, it has taken place at San Martín de Unx. Very close to the town of Ujué, it is almost like going back to the start of our year’s journey. Walking around its streets, visiting the Church of de San Martín de Tours in the highest part of the town, and having a drink with a great conversation, among many things, about the new activities we want to make this 2018. That was our morning.
Reflections
This visit, despite its simplicity, had some complex moments. One of them, was the age – mixture. It is a delight- even a need I would say – to get a bigger and younger public interested in art. But having high school students right next to professionals with a 15-year gap demands a speech with a different pace and different perspectives. How do you face this challenge? With the great attitude of all our attendants, because in the end, experience grants you with empathy.
Another complex challenge: Making our guide Javier understand that our visits do not have a fixed content with a monologue used for any visitor of the church. With all his good intentions and used to manage the guided tours around San Martín de Tours, he gave great but a little too long explanations for our people. In a moment, he realized how we work and he let me continue the guided visit. I thanked him for that generosity, and I still do.
Living and feeling heritage is very different to listening to a technical and chronological explanation about a place. However, this long, detailed technical visits are absolutely essential for professionals, Art and History students, and for anyone who wants to go deep into their passion for art.
Patrimonio para jóvenes’ main goa lis to awake interest and curiosity in those who lack of it. Said this, the visits have to maintain their own dynamic. It’s necessary to allow the attendants to relate what they are seeing with thing they have seen. By the way, didn`t the crypt of San Martín de Tours remind you of the crypt at San Salvador de Gallipienzo? I let the kids talk about this. They made their own interpretations in front of the gorgeous baptism fountain at San Martín de Unx. Afterwards, Javier explained all the iconographic program. Once again, we had to stop him, “About iconography….” He asks. What is iconography?” That was the only way we could keep going.
Talking About the Crypt
It was probably one of the most joyful moments, when we visited the crypt. It gave us an ambiguous feeling: on one hand, amazement by seeing a small space that not only helps to maintain the base of the church but also transports us to ancient times. “It`s like being in a movie” someone noted. On the other hand, the immaculate white of the restoration, couldn`t hide some polychromy remains that leave us thinking “this crypt looks so new…”
We are always delighted by the access to these places, for how inspiring they are. I invite you to check out the video El patrimonio tiene vida, by Clara Frago. In this video, the crypt San Salvador de Gallipienzo, creates a magic atmosphere.
A Raffle
We have many raffles and contests along the year. And we thought that the day before King`s Day was the perfect day for something like this. So during this visit, we raffled a night with breakfast included for two people at the Hotel Heredad Beragu ).
Here, you can see me during the moment of the raffle, under the view of our guide, Javier on the background.
The bag was full of little blank paper pieces. Only one had “Heredad Beragu” written on it. Who got that piece of paper, was the winner, and it was Marta Castaño. Look how happy she looks.
A Bit of humor
Walking, running for the younger ones, was right next to our snack time the last stage of our visit. Featuring cats.
The youngest of us were focused on running up and down the streets, playing hide and seek with the cats. These village cats, catch them if you can! And among the oldest of our attendants… lets let images speak for themselves, since one picture is worth a thousand words.
“What a pretty town, I`ve never been here before” or “What a blast we`ve had today”. These words let me say “mission accomplished”, or at least, the first mission of this year.