The city of Valencia will begin upgrading security, fire protection and climate control on Monday, 7 September, at the Museu de la Ciutat in the Palau del Marqués de Campo. The preparations are being made for the planned arrival of more than 200 works by the painter Joaquín Sorolla from the Hispanic Society of America in New York, which are currently expected to arrive in Valencia in November. Work will first be completed in the municipal rooms where the loans will be temporarily housed, before a larger part of the exhibition is shown at the Palacio de las Comunicaciones .
The Ayuntamiento de València has budgeted just under 300,000 euros in total for the work. One priority is to increase the overnight presence of security staff; the existing contract for private security services has been extended for this purpose, at a cost of 207,178.52 euros. The video surveillance network, intruder and fire alarm systems, and climate-control and storage infrastructure will also be modernised to meet the requirements of insurers and lenders.
Transport is being organised by the Consorci de Museus through a tender for specialist art shippers. Shipments are to be staggered and accompanied by couriers trained in conservation. The logistics involve strict packaging requirements, temperature and humidity control, and documentation and escort protocols. According to the institutions involved, delivery to the Museu de la Ciutat will allow the works to acclimatise safely and undergo technical inspection.
The agreement between the city of Valencia, the Generalitat Valenciana and the Hispanic Society of America is regarded by those involved as culturally significant. For a limited period, Valencia will make Sorolla’s collection, hitherto based in New York, accessible on a scale not previously seen. The technical preparations will be followed by the curatorial phase for the exhibition at the Palacio de las Comunicaciones.
The timetable and responsibilities are clearly separated: construction and security work at the Palau del Marqués de Campo is in fact starting this week. The works are due to arrive in November. According to the current schedule, the public exhibition at the Palacio de las Comunicaciones is planned for early 2027; this remains a forecast and may change depending on progress with transport and installation.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).