293
between November and December 2012, which consists in the un-
derpinning and internal attachment of those covered areas in risk
of imminent falling. This partial intervention, even necessary, did
not meet the needs of consolidation and cleaning requested by this
vault.
The complete conservative intervention is executed in the covering
of the dome, between 2012 and 2013, presenting old general damages
coming from the lack of adhesion of the stratum each other and to
the machine panel. Losses and added coats were being accumulated
over the surface, hiding polychrome partially and irregularly by lime
and cement mortars, emphasizing the devastating effects of previ-
ous aggressive interventions aimed to the elimination of these coats,
inadequate in terms of the equipment used (knives and scrapers) and
lacking of sensitivity and technical rigour, which caused significant
pictorial losses, scratching and deep erosions in paintings conceived
specifically to embellish this entrance to access de lower courtyard
of the
Crucero
, creating a decadent and deteriorate overview. The
importance of these serious anthropogenic damages was also valued
from q social perspective, considering that they engendered rejec-
tion because of the type of harms and the disastrous state of the
paintings exhibited.
The need for an intervention became ever more apparent. For their
conditions, these pictorial coverings needed consolidation treat-
ments as a priority to provide physical stability, for the confidence
and safety of those who are daily placed beneath the vault, consid-
ering falling fragments caused by the instability of mortars. The
action of humidity and salts have been the main oxidizing agents
of this area, having generated disintegrations, cavities, deconsoli-
dation, bulges, lack of adhesion of the different component coats
each other and to the base, and the disappearance of complete frag-
ments or stratums. The presence of humidity is attributable to the
high groundwater level, which causes the formation of efflorescence
by migration and deposition of soluble salts of the pavement in the
coverings, considering the area of adjoined flower beds and the
closeness with the gardens. This all, added to the presence of tile
plinths in the walls, difficult the evaporation of humidity, ascending
for capillarity towards the covering and the masonry of the vault.
We should also mention the moisture caused by filtrations coming
from the bad conditions of some elements from the façade, contrib-
uting to a greater absorption in the upper part of the dome, with the
consequent dissolution of the mortars and the loss of mechanical
consistency with regards to their grip.
As we can see, the clinical picture of this sector was extremely broad,
requiring the specific treatments applied to the fastening, consolida-
tion, cleaning and reconstruction of lacunas, to avoid the extension
of the advance mainly and the increase of the percentage of existing
damages with regards to the composition, mechanism and aesthet-
ic. However, the elimination of the main disrupting factors, like the
moistures for capillarity and filtrations in this architecture, have not
been accomplished deeply yet.
II. THE BARREL VAULT
This vault is placed on the second section of the tunnel of the central
longitudinal gallery, above the stairs to descend to the
Baños
. In this
dome, paintings are spread over the soffit and the jambs. A wrought
iron gate, inserted in the external profile of the dome is the delimita-
tion of the first section, closing the
Baños
.
The vault is rectangular and longitudinal in shape, and it is sustained
by two lateral wall hangings built on the staircase area. The sector is
5 meters in height and 2,53 in wide (bowstring), 2,09 m in depth to its
bottom side and 1,98 at the base of the impost. Even though the out-
line of the arch is equal in height with the adjacent lower dome, the
ground level descends approx. 1m, concluding with 7 steps whose
gradient is adapted to the width of the jambs.
The Eastern and Western bordering spaces of this section are the
same of the lower vault, but here the presence of humidity is more
evident in the Western jamb due to the excavations of the contigu-
ous Western sector and the absence of waterproofing. The mois-
tening of the covering seems to be a lengthy circumstance and it
is evident by the complete disappearance of the original covering
impost height.
The
base
of the dome and jambs are built with production of brick
and mortar, except the lower part of the Eastern surface, together
with the outline of the stairs, where we can find a masonry bench
compound by irregular traces of old ashlar and pieces of rubble
joined with mortar. There is another fill-in area sealed with rubbles,
remains of tiles and gravel, placed along the Western impost. Both
masonries can be the result of old restorations.
The
cladding
of the soffit of the vault and jambs is composed origi-
nally by lime with mortar. At the height of the plinths, where there
are no polychromes, we have found different applies of different
types of contemporaneous mortars in both sides, as well as other
with harder consistency and hydraulic characteristics in theWestern
side, attributed to the numerous reparations of the surface, probably
due to humidity for capillarity and those coming from the adjoined
side. In both faces we can watch, at the level of the impost, certain
sloped attributed to the overlapping of the mortars during the dif-
ferent stages of work. This overlapping has highlighted a horizontal
distinctive mark which seems to delimit and define the upper side
of the vault.
The
painting technique
is mixed, including both simulated frescos
and tempera. The pictures could be repainted by Diego de Esquivel
in 1615, and later in 1655, by Pedro Honorio de Palencia, who repaired
the gilding of these domes
21
, probably those which could hold the
crown of the central tondo, even disappeared at the present time,
they are registered in the HIJUELAS of that year where reparations
of the gilding from vaults is listed.
The artistic
style
of this dome is mannerist doubtlessly, represented
by the organisation of space in a symmetrical development, but in-
herent in a concatenated form sequence of allegories which lead us
to the final symbolic message. The Grutesque figures are represent-
ed by strong foreshortenings, transformed into half-humans —with
their small heads and muscled torso— and half-vegetal, greatly styl-
ized, with long stalks encircled connected to other forms, creating
a vivid and elegant composition of bright colours (visible quality in
spite of the significant loss of tints) in contrast to the cool and gray-
ing colours in the background.
Referring the
painted surface
, about a 70% is maintained, but it has
arrived at the present time greatly corroded. Before the recent in-
tervention, figures were distorted by the existent confusion among
the outline of the forms and damages. The worst discovery was not
the first covering with hydraulic lime (probably to conceal its bad
conditions and keep moisture away) or the subsequent tempera and
