The historic murals by Juan de BorgoƱa that decorate the vestibule or antechamber of the Chapter House of Toledo Cathedral can now be admired once again in all their original splendor. After a delicate restoration spanning several years, this space in the primatial cathedral has reopened its doors to worshippers and visitors, who now find a completely transformed room, free of the cabinets that concealed much of the artwork for centuries.
The project, promoted by the Cathedral Chapter with the support of the ACS Foundation , represents a total investment of ā¬390.000 and is part of the extensive program of activities organized for the 800th anniversary of Toledo Cathedral. The restoration of the entrance hall completes the recovery of one of Spain's most unique early Renaissance ensembles, linked to Cardinal Cisneros and the grand artistic project of the Chapter House.
A symbolic garden rediscovered in the heart of the Cathedral
The paintings, executed in oil on plaster between 1508 and 1511 , recreate what was known as the Garden or Orchard of the Virgin, an idealized space where the preparatory meetings of the cathedral chapter were held before entering the Chapter House. This decorative program, conceived under the spiritual direction of Cardinal Cisneros, is inspired by the motif of the Hortus Conclusus from the Song of Songs, an image with a long medieval tradition associated with the virtues of Mary.
The cathedral's conservator-restorer, Antonio SƔnchez-Barriga , explains that painted false windows open in the upper part of the walls, through which birds in flight at dawn and a luminous landscape can be seen, contrasting with the enclosed space below. This interplay between intimacy and openness reinforces the symbolic character of the space, designed for reflection and the governance of the Toledo Church.
One of the most striking aspects is the naturalistic detail of the vegetation, in which up to 18 different species of trees and flowers have been identified and are currently being studied by specialists in botany and art history. This work will culminate in a monograph analyzing the depicted flora and its spiritual interpretation, in line with the sensitivity towards nature characteristic of the Franciscan environment of Cisneros.
The restoration has also revealed that in this entrance hall, Juan de BorgoƱa chose to paint directly onto the plaster, without resorting to a preparatory drawing as he did in the Chapter House. This choice lends the scenes a freshness rarely seen in mural painting of the period and demonstrates the artist's technical mastery in using oil paint on a support other than the traditional fresco.
A Renaissance ensemble hidden behind 17th-century wardrobes
The driving force behind the intervention has been the complex decision to remove the bulky wooden cabinets that had covered most of the walls since the 17th century. These pieces, including a cabinet from the old tabernacle dating from around 1550, were originally adapted to house the growing archive of minutes of the Cathedral Chapter, but they ended up completely obscuring the original decoration.
SƔnchez-Barriga explains that, to avoid damaging the valuable historical woodwork, the dismantling was carried out in a modular fashion, piece by piece, with meticulous documentation and technical monitoring. After their removal, the cabinets were moved and reinstalled in the Cathedral's Tapestry Museum , where they can now be viewed in a more appropriate setting.
Until recently, only the paintings located in the upper part of the room, in the sections where the furniture didn't quite cover the walls, were known with any certainty. However, no one had a precise idea of āātheir state of preservation or the full extent of the scenes that might be hidden behind the woodwork. The surprise came when, during the preparations for the 800th anniversary, the restoration team discovered new areas of Burgundy paintings that had been completely invisible until then.
This discovery adds to other recent discoveries of works by the same author in Castilla-La Mancha, particularly in the province of Albacete, which confirms the extent of Juan de BorgoƱa's presence in the territory and the importance of continuing to review seemingly secondary spaces in historical temples.
Scope of restoration: paintings, plasterwork and coffered ceiling
The project has not been limited to the mural scenes, but has encompassed the entire entrance hall as an artistic unit. In total, approximately 150 meters of mural paintings , about 10 meters of decorative plasterwork, and nearly 75 meters of polychrome coffered ceiling have been restored, recovering the complete interpretation of this access space to the Chapter House.
To carry out a project of this magnitude, it was necessary to coordinate a multidisciplinary team of fourteen specialists: restorers, chemists, plasterers, glassmakers, archivists, and historians, in addition to companies specializing in construction, scaffolding, and lighting . This combination of expertise allowed us to address both artistic aspects and structural and preventive conservation issues.
The restoration of the plasterwork has restored volume and legibility to ornamental motifs that were partially obscured by dust, old varnishes, and overpainting. Simultaneously, the wooden coffered ceiling, which retains traces of its original polychromy, has undergone a carefully controlled cleaning and targeted consolidation to halt the deterioration of the paint layer.
The result is an open and airy space, where for the first time in centuries the Renaissance architecture and decoration can be appreciated as they were originally conceived: a solemn yet intimate prelude before entering the great Chapter House, whose comprehensive restoration had already been completed in an earlier phase of the same program.
A technical challenge: up to 17 layers of previous interventions
One of the biggest challenges for the team has been the condition of the paintings, marked by centuries of overlapping interventions. The restorers have identified up to 17 distinct layers of additions , including overpainting, waxes, rosin varnishes, and other materials that completely altered the reading of Burgundy's original brushwork.
The cleaning process was carried out very slowly and gradually, combining physical and chemical techniques adapted to each area. The aim was to remove layers not belonging to the artwork without jeopardizing the oil on plaster, a particularly delicate support. This also included addressing the bare patches and gaps in the paint caused by the support points of the old cabinets, as well as the holes drilled for anchoring the furniture.
Once the inappropriate materials were removed and the support stabilized, a chromatic integration was achieved using a wash technique . This system allows the visitor to perceive the whole as a unified whole, without mimicking the lost parts and while maintaining the visible trace of the passage of time, in accordance with current heritage conservation criteria.
Research into Burgundy's painting techniques has also revealed that, unlike in the Chapter House, in this vestibule the painter forwent preparatory drawings or sinopias. The decision to work directly on the plaster with color and composition has been interpreted by specialists as a sign of confidence in his own technique and as a commitment to a more spontaneous and naturalistic style of painting.
The Cabildo's perspective: heritage, visits and the 8th Centenary
The Dean of Toledo Cathedral, Juan Pedro SĆ”nchez Gamero , has emphasized the importance of this restoration, which he considers a milestone for Spanish cultural heritage. In his words, the restored entrance hall reveals āa beauty characteristic of the early Renaissance in Spain,ā previously difficult to appreciate due to the presence of cabinets and the accumulated damage to the paintings.
The space is now part of the regular Cathedral tour, allowing tourists and worshippers to access the antechamber and admire the Garden of the Virgin of Burgundy up close. This opening coincides with the celebration of the 800th anniversary of Toledo Cathedral , giving the inauguration added symbolic significance within the commemorative program.
Among the events planned for this anniversary, a major exhibition entitled āPrimadaā stands out. Opening on May 25th, it will showcase some of the cathedral's greatest artistic treasures, including those that have remained hidden from public view for centuries. The restoration of the entrance hall is thus part of a broader strategy to enhance the value of the cathedral's historical holdings.
Meanwhile, the Cathedral Chapter has announced that conservation work will continue in other areas of the building, with particular attention to the paintings on the Transparente of the Cathedral , where scaffolding has already been erected to begin new intervention campaigns. The experience gained from the entrance hall project will serve as a methodological basis for these future actions.
With the restoration of the Garden of the Virgin by Juan de BorgoƱa, Toledo Cathedral adds a new attraction to its already extensive heritage and offers a more complete view of the transition from late Gothic to Renaissance on the Iberian Peninsula. The combination of historical research, rigorous restoration, and public access makes this project a benchmark for how to breathe new life into seemingly secondary spaces that, once cleared and studied, reveal themselves as key pieces for understanding the history of European art.