With five centuries of history, the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, in Oaxaca de Juárez, is experiencing a great moment thanks to a cutting-edge system that illuminates its beauty and highlights its majesty and history.
In an event attended by state and municipal authorities, hundreds of attendees and band music, the Government of Oaxaca and the energy company Iberdrola México turned on the lights of this jewel of regional baroque, the first historic building to benefit from cutting-edge technology from the Oaxaca Brilla program.
“Betting on this program is putting Oaxaca in the eyes of the world, thus reaffirming its place as the cultural heart of Mexico,” said the governor of the state, Salomón Jara Cruz, who highlighted the synergy created with Iberdrola México with this innovative project, as part of the cooperation agreement with the private initiative Amigos por Oaxaca.
“We are proud to work with the Government of Oaxaca to make the common goal of illuminating the rich cultural and artistic heritage of the state a reality through the Oaxaca Brilla program. We want to be allies and continue generating prosperity together,” added Katya Somohano, general manager of Iberdrola Mexico, at the lighting ceremony.
Fully funded by the energy company, the Oaxaca Brilla initiative has the specialized company Varona as a technical ally, who has worked hand in hand with municipal and state authorities, as well as with the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) and the Archdiocese, to guarantee the preservation of these 10 buildings in the Oaxacan capital, whose historic center was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.
Announced at the end of 2023 by the Government of Oaxaca and Iberdrola México, the project includes a total investment of one million dollars for the lighting of 10 historic buildings in the state capital, with the aim of beautifying and enhancing the city’s cultural heritage, attracting more tourists and reducing the carbon footprint.
“This program is born from our desire to contribute to the development and well-being of the communities and states where we have a presence, and it joins the global artistic lighting program that Grupo Iberdrola has had since 2009,” explained Paola Martínez, Director of Communication and Social Responsibility at Iberdrola Mexico.
In the Metropolitan Cathedral, a jewel of Oaxacan baroque, the existing electrical installation was replaced with a proposal that was more respectful of the cultural asset, which included 72 LED projectors with different optics and the latest technology that add up to an installed power of 3,400W to guarantee the best lighting of the façade and the bell towers.
With the new system, which has very specific optics to direct the light, greater prominence is given to the façade built in green quarry stone, in which the representation of the Assumption of the Virgin stands out, as well as to the niches with the sculptures of the saints that surround it.
“The projectors were placed outside the cathedral to provide a light projection by bath or flood, which allows the light to be directed precisely to accentuate the most relevant architectural elements, reducing light pollution and guaranteeing the preservation of the monuments,” Martínez remarked.
A greener city
With the projectors, which have a useful life of up to 100 thousand hours, this type of artistic lighting is respectful of the environment because it reduces electricity consumption and the carbon footprint, contributing to making the tourist Oaxaca de Juárez – which in 2023 received nearly 1.3 million tourists – a greener and more sustainable city today.
After successfully lighting the Metropolitan Cathedral, the lighting of the Santo Domingo de Guzmán temple is planned for the first half of 2025. In the following years, they will be followed by those of San Matías de Jalatlaco, San Felipe Neri, the Precious Blood of Christ, the Company of Jesus and San Agustín, as well as the Basilica of the Virgin of Solitude, the Macedonio Alcalá Theater and the Government Palace of Oaxaca.
“Today we see with this program that there is a real care for our heritage. This lighting will surely attract more foreigners and will leave a greater economic impact,” said Dulce, one of the attendees at this ceremony held in the heart of the capital.
Source: eluniversal
