Last August I visited the rehabilitation works of the Sant Jordi hall of the Generalitat. The paintings that had enveloped the interior since 1926 were removed, which already revealed the existence of some ornamental details that enhanced the formidable new building designed by Pere Blai. It was unknown if there was more ornamentation. It is news that this has been the case; and it is news that, given the quantity and quality of what was discovered, it was decided to vary the program and focus on recovering all the hidden decoration.
It is remarkable and exciting to be able to admire the result so closely, thanks to the structure mounted at the top to carry out the recovery task. The twenty arches that support the impressive vaults are within reach and I can admire the polychrome paintings that enrich them all. They were the result of the style in vogue in that Renaissance, the grotesque coming from Italy; It is a combination of geometry that surrounds a diverse floral theme. And the state of conservation is good. The columns, between the capitals and the floor, had also deserved ornamentation of which no trace remains.
This result has been obtained thanks to the good work of the professional restoration team. I have been able to admire up close the exquisite care, sponge and scalpel in hand, used by two expert restorers.
Another novelty is the recovery of the eight creative polychrome stained glass windows on the four balconies that overlook Plaza Sant Jaume, installed in 1880 but hidden when covering the living room with the 1926 murals.
The work is scheduled to be completed in July, in order to inaugurate this solemn and fundamental space on the occasion of the annual commemoration of the Onze de Setembre. You can admire the quality of this work by Pere Blai, the first Renaissance work in Catalonia designed for the capital and its most historic and representative institution: the Generalitat.
