The cave of Altamira can visitarde again – lanacion.com (Argentina)

After nearly a month and half closed, the Museum of Altamira (in northern Spain) reopened yesterday and resumed “normal” visits. The format of these visits is the same which opened in February 2014: a very limited number of people that allows also to evaluate the effect that this presence is in the cave, famous for the prehistoric art containing

The choice of visitors is decided by lottery and this time were favored two Americans, a Norwegian and two Spaniards. So every week, five people plus a guide are chosen in a random drawing from among those registered to visit the replica.

These visits provide an opportunity for elected entering the cave of Altamira, which remains closed to the public since 2002 and features a replica inaugurated in 2001.

The last Altamira Museum Board decided on March 26 experimental resume visits after finding that the human presence in the cavity is not “significant” and that its impact on the conservation of the paintings is “imperceptible”.

Despite the time that the museum was closed, officials said the agency EFE that in this new day of experimental visits the number of people who came to the Museum of Altamira, in Santillana del Mar (Cantabria), was very similar to that of any Friday at this time, but this time there was a greater presence of the media. The number of participants in the almost traditional drawing, which took place at 10.45, did not change.

One of the favored was Leonore Weber, an American psychotherapist retired 73 years. When he arrived in Altamira, Weber was not even aware that the draw which allows the five elected visit the cave was held. Much less imagined that she would be among those five. According to newspaper El Pais, told the visitors after 37 minutes that lasted traveled: “The domain of art is amazing, its ability to leverage the volumes of the cave itself is amazing so close contemplate the birth of sensitivity. artistic and occurred so early in the history “. .