Conservators and restorers call for a technical, not a political, debate on the Sijena paintings.

More than one hundred conservation and restoration professionals have weighed in on the Sijena murals . Through a manifesto entitled "Heritage is not a flag," they express their concern about the way this case is being handled and call for a calm debate based on technical and scientific criteria, free from political, media, or partisan pressure.

The manifesto states that, while they fully respect the court decisions, the discussion regarding the conservation of the paintings must be left to qualified specialists. The signatory group insists that any intervention on these mural paintings must be carried out with extreme caution, and with guarantees that their integrity will not be compromised.

The manifesto, signed by one hundred and fifty professionals in just two days, states: "We are aware that cultural heritage constitutes an essential tool in the construction of collective identities. And we naturally assume that this symbolic value is part of its essence and that its use would therefore be reasonable if based on sincere appreciation and constant care. However, as professionals, we have long denounced the instrumentalization of cultural heritage for political purposes, which becomes an occasional instrument at the service of spurious interests: mishandled when convenient, almost always ignored."

And the signatories denounce that "the disputed work is not a symbol or a flag to be waved at will, but a cultural asset whose integrity must be preserved for the benefit of all society, given its heritage importance. And since we are aware of the limited effort that public authorities dedicate to the defense and protection of heritage , this overreaction seems simply demagogic to us."

The manifesto also denounces the pressure being exerted on the technical staff and requests that, while respecting the Supreme Court's ruling, a solution be found that defends the stability and preservation of the mural paintings. It is recalled that conservation and restoration is a discipline with solid ethical and professional backing , and that Spain has highly trained specialists capable of successfully undertaking complex interventions.

Finally, we appeal for respect for professional independence and for the Catalan and Aragonese technical teams to be allowed to work peacefully, without political or media pressure. And for this to be achieved, we only need to allow the specialized personnel from Catalonia and Aragon to work with serenity and respect. "We defend that the profession can respond successfully to any challenge, and that both the MNAC staff and those working with the Government of Aragon are perfectly capable of clarifying these uncertainties and planning an optimal solution that allows compliance with the ruling without affecting the mural painting, as long as they can work in the required time and safety."

"Conservation-Restoration is a mature discipline, and Spain has highly qualified professionals capable of providing, without hesitation, an adequate response to any technical challenge. However, this professional and scientific approach must be respected and removed from the current media pressure, partisan judgments, or ill-founded opinions, until a solution is reached that is agreed upon by the professional teams of both parties. Whatever action is ultimately taken, must be based on the defense of heritage and technical rigor."