Ministry of Culture to invest 4.5 million euros in Altamira Museum during this legislature

The investment is part of the recent 2020 Culture Plan, which establishes the cultural policy measures to be implemented over the next four years.

Fernando Benzo explained that the investment will be over a number of years and "will be used to provide a museum setting for the stalactite cave; to allow public visits; renew the permanent exhibition; recreate the "Altamira Landscape"; replace the lighting of the Neo-Cave; improve the museum's exterior and interior signaling; and renew the temperature control system in all the buildings of the complex".

The State secretary added that "the aim is to create an attractive museum project". There were a total of 285,990 visitors to the Museum in 2016, with an upward trend "demonstrating that we are on the right path", explained Fernando Benzo. "That is why we have to make progress and ensure that the museum complex attracts an increasing number of visitors".

A new roadmap to establish priorities for scientific studies

With respect to the Altamira Cave Preventive Conservation Plan, implemented in 2014, its coordinator José María Ballester, reported to the media that "the results of the analysis of the state of conservation of the Altamira caves have not changed" with respect to the previous meetings of the Trustees. He stressed the complex nature of the preservation of the prehistoric caves.

That is why the Monitoring Committee has agreed a new roadmap that will prioritise projects that allow a more in-depth knowledge of the effects of water. Water is "necessary for the conservation of the paintings, while at the same time being a cause of their deterioration," explained José María Ballester. Exhaustive research will be carried out on the biodeterioration and topography of the painted ceiling, as there are microbasins between the external surface and the cave. The aim is to analyse the measures that could halt or slow these processes altering the cave, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Modification in experimental visits

José Manuel Ballester also reported that in line with the studies that improve knowledge on the effect of human presence in the caves, access of experimental visits can be modified, dividing the current access of five people every week into two groups of two and three people once a week. "This will maintain the number of experimental visits", said José María Ballester, who stressed that the data offered by the Conservation Plan "offer valuable information on the cave".

Another aspect that will be taken into account by the Monitoring Committee will be the study of the seasonal changes affecting the Altamira caves between February and June. "The aim will be to analyse how to relate this study to access for experimental visits", he said.

A total of 225 people have visited the original cave in 2016 as part of the experimental visits. The system of access via random selection from among the visitors to the Museum who have applied every Friday will be maintained.