The conservation of the Main Cloister of the former convent of Fray Juan de Sahagún in Salamanca, Guanajuato, Mexico

Abstract

This article analyzes the conservation process of the Claustro Mayor of the former convent of Fray Juan de Sahagún in Salamanca, carried out at the beginning of the 20th century, after it had suffered a series of alterations that culminated in the building's complete abandonment. Its designation as architectural heritage and a historical monument allowed the intervention to house the activities of the Guanajuato Arts Center from then until now, in addition to providing the most favorable conditions for its future development. However, there are few records of the actions taken at that time for its conservation, so this article aims to preserve the arguments, actions, and results obtained. The research methodology employed was documentary, based on interviews and archival research. Since building conservation is a relatively recent discipline, the theoretical framework considered the documents that supported and justified each of the actions deemed appropriate by the restoration team at the time. It was possible to recover the memory of a series of conservation actions that, at that time, were novel due to their level of specialization.