There's an interesting article in the current Voz de Galicia http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/ed_santiag ... TO=4037226
on the damage being caused by visitors to the Portico de la Gloria, placing their hand on the column etc. In the view of the cathedral authorities, the accumulative effect of the current number of visitors is not sustainable.
Various options are being considered of which the favourite at the moment is to limit access to groups accompanied by an official guide. This would have the additional advantage of reducing the noise and disturbance to church services caused by visitors to the Portico.
They/we are lucky that Galicia's stone is granite; if it were sandstone like my local cathedral, the carvings would have disappeared centuries ago!
on the damage being caused by visitors to the Portico de la Gloria, placing their hand on the column etc. In the view of the cathedral authorities, the accumulative effect of the current number of visitors is not sustainable.
Various options are being considered of which the favourite at the moment is to limit access to groups accompanied by an official guide. This would have the additional advantage of reducing the noise and disturbance to church services caused by visitors to the Portico.
They/we are lucky that Galicia's stone is granite; if it were sandstone like my local cathedral, the carvings would have disappeared centuries ago!