Speakers
International specialists in conservation and cathedral heritage
List of Speakers
An International Perspective on Cathedral Heritage
The conference brings together specialists from various countries and disciplines in Toledo who are involved in the conservation, study, and management of European cathedrals.
Maite Aranda
Maite Aranda, a Geomatics and Surveying Engineer, has more than three decades of professional experience in the fields of surveying, photogrammetry, cartography, and geomatics, complemented by specialized training in cadastral surveying, GIS, BIM, and drones.
For more than 20 years, he has been active in the Official Association of Geomatics and Surveying Engineers, where he spearheaded the creation of the Castilla-La Mancha Regional Branch, which did not exist at that time. In this capacity, he performs management, certification, and institutional representation duties, while also promoting various projects, training activities, and efforts to raise awareness of the profession.
Notable among these projects are the First Cartography Conference in Castilla-La Mancha, the 11th Congress on Geomatics and Earth Sciences, and the promotion of and participation in the Digital Twin project for the Toledo Cathedral.
Martin Bacot
Martin BACOT is an architect specializing in heritage (DSA from the École de Chaillot, Paris). Appointed Chief Architect for Historic Monuments (ACMH) through a competitive selection process in 2017, Martin BACOT oversees restoration work on state-owned listed monuments in the departments of Côte-d’Or, Rhône, and Eure-et-Loire, including the cathedrals of Lyon, Dijon, and Chartres. He is also responsible for the former Val-de-Grâce Abbey and the Paris Military Academy.
As a partner at the archipat firm (Lyon, Paris), he has, together with his partners and a team of about forty people, developed extensive experience in working on historic buildings, ranging from conservation and restoration to new construction within a heritage context. In addition, as an organ builder, Martin Bacot has designed several new organs installed in historic buildings, both in France and abroad.
As a member of the ACMH Society, he is involved in cross-cutting issues related to the preservation of cultural property—particularly fire safety for heritage sites—and leads the project on the energy footprint and carbon emissions of the historic monuments sector in collaboration with numerous stakeholders in the field.
A professor at the École de Chaillot since 2022, he was appointed head of the “Conservation Sciences and Techniques” department in 2025. He teaches courses on topics including risk analysis, diagnostic methodologies, the stability of vaulted structures, and the energy and carbon transition.
Michael Bastgen
Michael Bastgen is the Technical Director of the Cologne Cathedral Workshop.
After completing a master's degree in Civil Engineering at RWTH Aachen University and a postgraduate master's degree in Heritage Conservation at the Technical University of Berlin, he began his professional career as a structural engineer specializing in historic buildings.
From 2017 to 2021, he was a member of the German Research Foundation (DFG) graduate research group “Cultural and Technical Values of Historic Buildings” at the Brandenburg University of Technology in Cottbus-Senftenberg.
His doctoral dissertation analyzes the earliest engineering projects carried out on historically significant religious buildings in Germany.
Since 2019, he has been a member of the board of directors of the Society for the History of Construction Engineering and a member of the German National Committee of ICOMOS.
Juan Luis Blanco Mozo
Professor in the Department of Art History and Theory at the Autonomous University of Madrid, where he earned his Ph.D. in 2007 with the dissertation “Alonso Carbonel (1583–1660), Architect to the King and the Count-Duke of Olivares.” Since then, he has specialized in the art and architecture of the Early Modern period, while also working as a historian on various restoration projects in Spain. As a result of this work, he has published several studies on the cathedrals of León and Toledo, as well as on artists and architects such as Juan de Colonia, Juan de Borgoña, Giovanni Battista Crescenzi, Ignacio Haan, Ventura Rodríguez, Manuel Martín Rodríguez, Luis Paret, and Francisco de Goya.
Christophe Bottineau
Christophe Bottineau (born in 1969) holds a DPLG degree in architecture from the Paris-Tolbiac School of Architecture and a degree in heritage architecture from the Chaillot School. He also studied art history at the Sorbonne and the École du Louvre. In 2001, he was appointed Chief Architect of Historic Monuments (ACMH) through a competitive selection process.
He is currently in charge of the state-owned historic monuments in Paris’s 1st and 4th arrondissements and in the department of Seine-Saint-Denis. These include the Palais-Royal, the Place Vendôme, the Paris Palace of Justice—including the Conciergerie and the Sainte-Chapelle—the Hôtel de Sully, the Bibliothèque de l’Arsenal, and the Basilica of Saint-Denis. He also oversaw the restoration and conversion of the Hôtel de la Marine from 2014 to 2021. Previously, he was responsible for various monuments in the departments of Moselle, Bas-Rhin, Haute-Saône, and the Belfort Territory.
He has been a managing partner at 2BDM Architectes since 2010. Throughout his career, he has gained extensive experience in the preservation, restoration, and adaptation of historic buildings, working on projects involving stone, stained-glass windows, metal elements, and wooden structures.
In addition to his professional work, he regularly participates in conferences and specialized events and is the author of numerous publications on the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage. Notable among his works are those devoted to the Vendôme Column, the Palais-Royal, the Sainte-Chapelle, and the Cathedral of Saint-Étienne in Metz. He has also appeared as an expert in various documentaries and television programs on France’s architectural heritage.
Tilman Borsdorf
Tilman Borsdorf, Chief Restorer at the Münsterbauhütte in Freiburg
Tilman Borsdorf is a master stonemason and stone sculptor, as well as a restorer specializing in stonework. He trained at the company Schindler Stein+Form in Waldkirch-Kollnau and later completed his training as a traditional restorer and master stonemason and stone sculptor.
Between 2003 and 2006, he participated in the anastylosis of the Philipeion at the Olympic Games in Greece for the German Archaeological Institute. In 2009, he conducted a study on the state of preservation and developed a restoration plan for the Octagon at Ephesus for the Austrian Archaeological Institute, and subsequently served on the committee of experts tasked with its reconstruction.
He has been associated with Freiburg Cathedral since 2006, serving first as head of the stonemasonry team and later as director of the restoration project for the tower spire. Since 2019, he has served as chief restorer at the Münsterbauhütte in Freiburg, and since April 2026, he has also headed the Department of Documentation and Collections/Archives.
He is a member of Working Group 3.8 of the WTA (Scientific and Technical Association), which focuses on application techniques for the restoration of natural stone.
Roberto Cela
Roberto Cela holds a degree in civil engineering from the University of Pisa. Since 2016, he has served as technical director of the Opera della Primaziale Pisana, the institution responsible for the conservation, protection, and enhancement of the monuments and museums in Pisa’s Piazza del Duomo, including the famous Leaning Tower.
He is the founder of his own engineering firm and has worked in the fields of civil and industrial architecture, safety, and European projects focused on logistics.
Petr Chotěbor
Petr Chotěbor, architect and heritage conservation specialist. Office of the President of the Czech Republic, Prague Castle
Petr Chotěbor (born in Prague in 1950) studied at the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague, where he earned a degree in architectural engineering in 1975. From 1975 to 1982, he worked as an architect at the Obnova památek studio, which specializes in the restoration of monuments.
Between 1980 and 1985, he pursued doctoral studies at the Institute of Archaeology of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. His dissertation, titled “The Architectural Configuration of Fortified Manor Houses in the Czech Middle Ages,” earned him the degree of CSc., equivalent to a doctorate.
Since 1982, he has worked as a specialist in the Department of Heritage Conservation at the Office of the President of the Czech Republic, located at Prague Castle. Since 1998, he has been a member of Dombaumeister e. V., the European Association of Cathedral Master Builders, Cathedral Architects, and Workshop Masters.
Marisia Conn
Marisia Conn, architect and designer. Conn und Giersch Architektur / Urban Heritage and Monumental Conservation ISKD
Marisia Conn holds a degree in architecture from the Accademia di Architettura in Mendrisio, part of the University of Italian Switzerland, and is a certified designer in Germany. After studying Communication Design in Nuremberg and running her own design firm, she completed her education in architecture in Switzerland.
Since 2005, she has co-directed the architecture firm Conn und Giersch. Since 2012, she has held positions related to the master builder’s office of St. Lawrence Church in Nuremberg, and from 2014 to 2018, she was a professor of architecture and design at Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences.
In 2021, he co-founded ISKD, an independent institute dedicated to sustainable urban development and the development of heritage conservation strategies. He is a member of the Bavarian Chamber of Architects, ICOMOS, and Dombaumeister e. V., and serves on the monitoring group for ICOMOS Germany.
Jesús Corroto Briceño
Jesús Corroto Briceño is an architect and has served as manager of the Toledo City Consortium since 2021. His work in architecture, restoration, and heritage management has been recognized with the Castilla y León Sustainable Construction Award and the Architecture and Urban Planning Award from the Official College of Architects of Castilla-La Mancha for the restoration and environmental rehabilitation of the Callejón de San Pedro; the AMAD Restoration Award and a nomination for the CSCAE ARQUITECTURA Awards for the restoration of the Miguel Esteban City Hall; and, for the urban regeneration of the Corral de Don Diego, the AVS 2025 Award, the AMAD 2024 Award, a nomination for the CSCAE ARCHITECTURE Awards 2025, and finalist status for the AHI European Award 2025 in the Outdoor Spaces category, as well as finalist status for the New European Bauhaus Special Mention.
From 2008 to 2014, he collaborated with the internationally renowned sculptor Cristina Iglesias as the architect and construction manager for the Tres Aguas project, an artistic and heritage initiative carried out at various sites in Toledo.
As manager of the Consortium, he has been leading an integrated strategy for housing, heritage, and public spaces in the historic district since 2021, based on the principles of the New European Bauhaus, with a 2023–2026 Investment Plan, budgeted at 17 million euros, aimed at heritage restoration, the creation of new housing, and the revitalization of buildings and urban spaces. In 2022, he launched the Collaborative Restoration Plan, aimed at restoring disused residential buildings and attracting new residents, along with ongoing restoration assistance programs.
As a professional architect working from his studio in the historic center of Toledo, he has carried out projects at the Convent of Santa Clara, Santo Domingo el Antiguo, the Chapel of San Felipe Neri, the Barrio de los Canónigos, the Callejón de San Pedro, and various protected buildings. He also served as an architect for the Toledo Provincial Council, participating in the study of the province’s architectural heritage and in the publication of the book *Las líneas del Patrimonio Histórico*. He was a member of the drafting team for the Archaeological Map of Toledo and represented the Official College of Architects of Castilla-La Mancha on the Heritage Commissions of Toledo and Talavera de la Reina.
He has been very active as a speaker, moderator, and coordinator at national and international conferences and forums on heritage, architecture, and historic cities, including the ICOMOS Mexico International Symposium, the World Heritage Site Managers’ Meetings in Spain and Portugal, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site Managers’ Forum—for which he was selected in 2023 from among more than 1,000 international candidates— *Fontes. World Heritage: Knowledge for Conservation*, and the First Meeting of Historic Districts of the Canary Islands. He has also participated in conferences and programs at the Polytechnic University of Madrid, the University of Castilla-La Mancha, the University of Salamanca, UNED, IE University, and La Sapienza University of Rome, and has coordinated international conferences in Toledo on facade cladding in historic districts, convents, and monastic heritage, as well as, in 2026, “Reimagining the Historic City: People, Heritage, and the Future, organized to mark the 25th anniversary of the Toledo City Consortium.
Albert Distelrath
After earning a degree in economics at Freiburg and Marburg, Albert Distelrath (born in 1967) studied architecture in Wiesbaden. Since graduating in 1997, he has worked almost exclusively in the field of restoration and heritage conservation. His projects have focused primarily on castles and palaces, notably his role as site manager for the restoration of Drachenburg Palace in Königswinter (2002–2010). In 2014, he was appointed to the Advisory Board for the Preservation of Historic Monuments of the German Castles Association.
Albert Distelrath is also active in the fields of research on historic buildings and the preservation of archaeological heritage. He has supervised projects on the protection and enhancement of archaeological sites for the German Archaeological Institute in Turkey and Saudi Arabia. The conservation plan for Heraclea on Mount Latmos was also the subject of his doctoral dissertation at the Technical University of Berlin. Since 2021, he has been a member of the Koldewey Society—Association for Research in Architectural History e.V.
In addition to his professional work, Albert Distelrath has held teaching positions at the RheinMain University of Applied Sciences in Wiesbaden and at the Vienna University of Technology.
Since 2016, Albert Distelrath has served as assistant master builder of Cologne Cathedral, and in this capacity, he oversees construction work on the cathedral on behalf of the Cologne Cathedral Builders’ Guild.
Denis Dodeman
Denis Dodeman, DPLG-certified architect and chief architect for Historic Monuments. Architecture Patrimoine & Paysage DODEMAN
Denis Dodeman (born in Granville in 1962) is a DPLG-certified architect from the Paris-Conflans-Charenton School of Architecture. Between 1990 and 2004, he collaborated on the restoration of prominent French monuments, including the Royal Abbey of Saint-Séverin, the Luxembourg Palace, and Place Stanislas in Nancy. In 2005, he was appointed chief architect of Historic Monuments following a competitive selection process.
He is currently in charge of major heritage sites, such as the cathedrals of Saint-Pierre in Angoulême, Saint-Front in Périgueux, and Saint-Gatien in Tours, as well as the Tuileries National Estate and the Carrousel Garden, which are part of the Grand Louvre. From 2005 to 2025, he was also responsible for the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de la Sède in Tarbes.
In 2010, he founded the firm Architecture Patrimoine & Paysage DODEMAN, composed of a multidisciplinary team of architects specializing in heritage, archaeologists, and landscape architects. His experience encompasses the conservation and restoration of cathedrals, abbeys, castles, historic gardens, and archaeological sites, both in France and on international projects. Between 2007 and 2022, he served on various French regional commissions for heritage and architecture.
He regularly participates in conferences and contributes to publications on historic preservation, restoration techniques, and the maintenance of historic buildings. In 2011, he received the Tour d’Or Award from Vieilles Maisons Françaises for the restoration of the Curlande estate.
Claus Giersch
Claus Giersch, a conservator specializing in wall surfaces and a state-certified technician. Conn und Giersch Architektur / Urban Heritage and Monumental Conservation ISKD
Claus Giersch is a restorer specializing in wall surfaces and a state-certified technician. He trained at the Munich School of Crafts and studied technical subjects and restoration technology in Munich. Since 1986, he has been working in his own studio.
Between 1996 and 2000, he participated in a working group focused on restoration and the applied history of architecture. He subsequently worked at the C. Giersch and H. Keim architectural firm in Fürth until 2005, when he founded the firm Conn und Giersch together with Marisia Conn. Since 2012, he has held positions related to the stewardship of St. Lawrence Church in Nuremberg.
In 2021, he co-founded ISKD, an independent institute specializing in sustainable urban development and heritage conservation. He is a member of the German Association of Restorers, ICOMOS, and Dombaumeister e. V., and serves as spokesperson for the ICOMOS Germany monitoring group.
Thomas Gottschlich
Thomas Gottschlich, chief architect of the Frauenkirche in Dresden
Thomas Gottschlich (born in Recklinghausen in 1965) studied architecture at the Technical University of Braunschweig and the Technical University of Darmstadt, where he earned his degree in 1993. After beginning his professional career as an architect in Dresden, he was responsible for the overall architectural survey of Berlin’s Karl-Marx-Allee from 1995 to 1996.
From 1997 to 2007, he worked as the architect representing the property within the management team responsible for the reconstruction of the Frauenkirche—Church of Our Lady—in Dresden. Subsequently, he developed and implemented a system for its maintenance and preservation.
Since 2009, he has been the chief architect of the Frauenkirche in Dresden, and since 2016, he has also served as managing director of the foundation’s real estate management. He has been a member of Dombaumeister e. V. since 1997.
Regine Hartkopf
Professor Regine Hartkopf is the owner of “denk mal architektur” and an architect and member of the BDA. Since 2011, she has served as construction manager for the cathedrals of Naumburg and Merseburg on behalf of the “Vereinigte Domstifter” association. In this role, she combines her many years of experience in historic preservation with the responsibility of managing complex planning, construction, and mediation processes.
Patricia Hevia
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Geography and History with a specialization in Prehistory and Archaeology from the Autonomous University of Madrid, a Master’s degree in Advanced Methods and Techniques of Historical, Artistic, and Geographical Research from the UNED, and a Ph.D. in Archaeology from the UNED. Since its inception, she has been a member of the IberiARQ Research Group on Landscapes, Architecture, and Material Culture of Ancient Iberia, affiliated with the Department of Prehistory and Archaeology at UNED. Since 2008, she has been a career civil servant and archaeologist in the Culture Division of the Regional Government of Castile-La Mancha. Since 2020, she has held the position of Head of the Heritage and Archaeology Service within the Deputy Ministry of Culture and Sports, a role she balances with her teaching duties as an Associate Professor in the Department of Prehistory and Archaeology at UNED, a position she has held since September 2010. She has been a member of the scientific team at the Sisapo archaeological site since 1990, serving as co-scientific director from 1998 to 2008. Previously, in her role in management archaeology, she has directed numerous archaeological interventions related to the preparation of Archaeological Reports, historical heritage impact studies, and emergency excavations.
Although she began her career as an archaeologist working on the city wall and thermal baths of Gijón, her research has focused on the protohistory, Romanization, and Late Antiquity of the Southern Plateau—particularly the silver-bearing galena and cinnabar mining areas—as well as on the analysis and study of the uses of these minerals.
In her role as a cultural heritage manager, among other responsibilities, she serves as secretary of the Special Commission for the Historical Heritage of Toledo, a body that evaluates and approves projects involving the cultural heritage of the city of Toledo. Similarly, I have represented the Deputy Ministry of Culture of the Regional Government of Castile-La Mancha on the Drafting and Monitoring Committee for the National Plan for Heritage Education and the National Plan for Archaeology, as well as on the World Heritage Working Group.
Nelia Kukowalska
Nelia Kukovalska – Director General of the “Saint Sophia of Kiev” National Conservation Area, member of the Ukrainian Academy of Architecture (2005), Distinguished Worker of Culture of Ukraine (2008), corresponding member of the Ukrainian Academy of Civil Engineering (2016), member of the European Association of Cathedral Architects (2020), professor at the National University of Civil Engineering and Architecture in Kyiv (2021), a leading specialist in the fields of architecture, restoration, and construction, as well as in monument preservation and museum work, and the recipient of numerous diplomas and awards.
Julia Lienemeyer
Julia Lienemeyer, Ph.D. in Architecture and Master Builder of the Cathedral. Department of Construction and Real Estate, Frankfurt am Main
Julia Lienemeyer studied architecture at the Berlin University of the Arts, where she earned her degree in architectural engineering in 1996. She began her professional career at the Hufnagel Pütz Rafaelian firm, where she participated in all phases of planning and led the project for the Leipzig Museum of Fine Arts. She later founded the Lienemeyer-Kramer firm, which specializes in new construction and renovations of existing buildings.
From 2003 to 2009, she worked as a researcher and instructor in Professor Günter Zamp Kelp’s Project Studio at the Berlin University of the Arts. In 2009, she joined the Department of Construction and Real Estate in Frankfurt am Main as a project manager for historic buildings. Since May 2019, she has served as the cathedral’s master builder at the same institution.
In 2017, he earned his Ph.D. with a dissertation on urban development and architecture in Chernivtsi during the Austro-Hungarian period. Between 2012 and 2014, he also participated in a European project at Lund University focused on the memory of vanished population groups and its relationship to urban planning in various cities in Central and Eastern Europe.
His research has resulted in scholarly publications and the traveling exhibition “Czernowitz Tomorrow,” which has been shown in Berlin, Graz, Klagenfurt, Bucharest, and Chernivtsi.
Annette Loeffel
Annette Loeffel, architect (ETH/SIA) and associate member of the BSA, master builder of Bern Cathedral. Bern Cathedral Foundation, Bern
Architect. Owner of her own architecture firm in Bern. Master Builder of the cathedral and Executive Director of the Münsterbauhütte in Bern, appointed by the Bern Cathedral Foundation.
President of the European Association of Cathedral Master Builders, Cathedral Master Builders, and Master Builders. Professor at the Bern University of Applied Sciences (Master’s in Heritage Conservation and Reuse).
Specializes in the field of renovation and heritage conservation, particularly in the restoration of natural stone buildings. Areas of expertise: monument management, building maintenance—including conservation and restoration—renovations and rehabilitations of historic buildings, as well as consulting at the national and international levels. Various teaching activities, public relations work, and publications in the field of practical heritage conservation.
María José Lop Otín
María José Lop Otín (Zaragoza, 1963) is a Full Professor of Medieval History in the Toledo School of Humanities at the University of Castilla-La Mancha. Her primary area of research is the broad field of Church History, with a special focus on the Church’s presence and influence in urban settings during the Middle Ages. Within this field, the world of medieval cathedrals and cathedral chapters has been the focus of her numerous publications, conference papers, and scholarly presentations.
Notable among these is his doctoral dissertation, *The Cathedral Chapter of Toledo in the 15th Century: Institutional and Sociological Aspects* (2003). The geographical scope of these works has been the Archdiocese of Toledo and its primatial cathedral, as well as its parishes, convents, and foundations of the Military Orders. Since 2019, he has served as editor-in-chief of the journal *Vínculos de Historia*, a publication of the Department of History at the University of Castilla-La Mancha.
Stefano Lupo
Stefano Lupo has been working in the field of conservation and restoration for nearly 40 years. He joined the Restoration Department of the Opera della Primaziale Pisana in 1997.
For nearly twenty years, he worked on the preservation and reinstallation of the frescoes that had come loose from the Camposanto Monumentale in Pisa, as well as on various restoration projects involving works of art located in Piazza del Duomo.
In 2013, he was appointed head of the Department of Conservation of Decorated Surfaces, focusing primarily on the conservation of frescoes and coordinating a team of eleven specialists.
Since June 2025, he has been head of the Conservation Department at the Opera della Primaziale Pisana, where he oversees conservation activities and coordinates a qualified team of 25 professionals.
Ángel Menargues
Ángel Menargues, architect and architectural heritage specialist at the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia and the Holy Cross in Barcelona
Ángel Menargues holds a degree in architecture from the Barcelona School of Architecture and is a specialist in heritage conservation. Between 2013 and 2015, he earned a master’s degree in Heritage Conservation from Otto-Friedrich University in Bamberg, where he specialized in vertical archaeology and architectural restoration. His thesis analyzed the architectural evolution and interventions carried out up to the 19th century in the octagon of Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim.
Between 2016 and 2020, and again between 2024 and 2025, he worked as an architect and architectural conservator at the German firm Conn und Giersch. There, he participated in projects involving the maintenance, preservation, and restoration of historic buildings such as St. Lawrence Church in Nuremberg, Unternzenn Palace, and various churches in Bavaria.
Since 2023, he has also been working as an independent professional, carrying out projects involving digitization, pathological analysis, and structural rehabilitation at the Barcelona churches of Santa Maria del Pi, Sant Pere de les Puel·les, and Sant Pau del Camp. Since 2025, he has served as an architect and architectural heritage specialist at the Cathedral of Santa Eulalia and the Holy Cross in Barcelona.
He is also pursuing a Ph.D. through an international joint program between Otto-Friedrich University of Bamberg and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, focusing on the restoration of Spanish Gothic cathedrals between 1836 and 1936 from archaeological, architectural, construction, and structural perspectives.
Nuria Molina
Nuria Molina Hernández holds a degree in architecture from the Higher Technical School of Architecture at the Polytechnic University of Madrid (2000). After working at various architecture and urban planning firms in Toledo between 2001 and 2006, she joined the Regional Government of Castile-La Mancha as a career civil servant in 2007, holding various positions related to cultural heritage management, education, sports, and land-use planning.
From 2008 to 2018, she served as a member of the Toledo Provincial Commission on Land Use Planning and Urban Development, and from 2012 to 2018, she served as secretary of the Toledo Provincial Commissions on Historical Heritage. She also served as Head of the Culture Division of the Toledo Provincial Office of the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture, and Sports from 2016 to 2017.
Since 2020, she has been a career civil servant with the Toledo City Council, where she serves as Municipal Architect. Her responsibilities include issuing compliance reports for construction projects based on current zoning regulations, enforcing urban planning regulations, and coordinating and monitoring initiatives related to the preservation, restoration, and enhancement of the city’s historic heritage. She represents the City Council on various technical bodies and specialized committees, such as the Technical Committee for the Special Plan for the Historic District, the Special Committee on Historic Heritage of the City of Toledo, and the Urban Planning Committee.
Since 2025, she has served as Head of the Historical Heritage Service within the Urban Planning Department and is the technical representative of the Toledo City Council on the Heritage Commission of the Group of World Heritage Cities of Spain.
She rounded out her professional background with specialized training in the conservation and restoration of architectural heritage, the management of cultural heritage preservation plans, and a graduate-level course in historic masonry and timber structures from the University of Extremadura.
Paula Noriega
Paula Noriega, a Technical Engineer in Surveying, has more than 20 years of experience in the fields of surveying, geomatics, and 3D documentation. She began her career in 2005 working on laser scanning and photogrammetry projects, and in 2009 she began incorporating the use of drones into projects in civil engineering, industrial engineering, architecture, and heritage preservation.
In 2017, he founded ABSCISA3d, a company specializing in the capture, processing, and management of point clouds using various technologies, such as laser scanning, mobile mapping, photogrammetry, and drones.
Throughout his career, he has led numerous three-dimensional documentation projects, as well as BIM and HBIM projects applied to civil engineering, architecture, industrial engineering, and historic preservation. Notable among these are his work on the Ptolemaic aqueduct and temple in Alexandria, the Monastery of San Antonio el Real in Segovia, various caves with cave paintings, and the Digital Twin project for the Cathedral of Toledo.
Javier Peces Pérez
Javier Peces Pérez, archaeologist and co-director of archaeology at Toledo Cathedral. Founding member of A tempora. Archaeology and Heritage
Javier Peces Pérez holds a bachelor’s degree in the Humanities from the University of Castilla-La Mancha, where he also completed his doctoral coursework. Since 2022, he has been working on his dissertation as part of the Doctoral Program in Research in the Humanities, Arts, and Education. He has more than two decades of experience in archaeology, historical research, and heritage conservation.
He is a founding partner of A tempora. Archaeology and Heritage and the co-director of archaeology for the Holy Cathedral of Toledo. He also coordinates the Technical Office for Construction Projects of the Archdiocese of Toledo and serves on its Construction Committee.
Throughout his career, he has directed and co-directed numerous archaeological excavations in the historic district of Toledo and at prominent religious monuments. At Toledo Cathedral, he has participated in projects related to the Museum of Tapestries and Textiles, the Sacristy, the Treasury, the Chapter House, and the tower, among other spaces. He has also worked on monuments such as the Santa María la Blanca Synagogue, the Cristo de la Luz Mosque, and numerous churches, convents, and historic buildings.
He is a full member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and Historical Sciences of Toledo. His research and outreach work is reflected in numerous lectures and publications on urban archaeology, the Jewish quarter, and the medieval city of Toledo, as well as Visigothic religious architecture and the preservation of the Primatial Cathedral.
Roberto Carlos Pina Ludeña
Technical Architect specializing in construction project management, with a focus on renovation, from the Polytechnic University of Madrid. (1997)
Currently a technical architect on the multidisciplinary Construction and Fabrication team at the S.I.C. in Toledo, the leading institution of its kind in Spain.
Since 1997, he has served as construction manager and on-site safety coordinator, and in recent years has been involved in various restoration projects and projects involving cultural heritage sites in Toledo’s historic district.
From 2008 to 2021, he collaborated with Mr. Eduardo Navarro Pallares, Ph.D. in Architecture, on various restoration and structural reinforcement projects at the Church of Nuestra Señora del Carmen and San Luis in Madrid, as well as on the planimetric survey for the master plan of the Riofrío Palace in Segovia.
Independent building structures consultant, collaborating with architecture and engineering firms on structural design and calculations.
Yurii Prepodobnyi
Yurii Prepodobnyi is a co-founder of SKEIRON (Lviv, Ukraine) and a specialist in the digitization of architectural monuments, with 11 years of experience in 3D scanning of heritage sites (since 2015). He holds a master’s degree in Geodesy and Land Management from the Lviv National Polytechnic University (2012–2017), where his research focused on creating 3D models using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
He has worked at Skeiron since 2016, first as chief engineer—responsible for the geodetic control of scanning projects, including the tolerances and accuracy of the resulting 3D models—and, since 2017, as project manager.
His work includes scanning UNESCO World Heritage sites in Ukraine: eight wooden churches, St. Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv, the Residence of the Metropolitans of Bukovina and Dalmatia in Chernivtsi, and churches in the historic center of Lviv.
He is the co-founder and director of the “Save Ukrainian Heritage” project, which documented more than 150 architectural sites between the start of the full-scale war and the end of 2022, in collaboration with numerous international partners and foundations. He has been awarded an honor by the Polish Minister of Culture for protecting the shared cultural heritage of Poland and Ukraine during the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
Alfredo Rodríguez González
He holds a bachelor's degree in Law and Humanities from the UCLM and a European Ph.D. in History from the same university (2004 Special Doctoral Award).
He works as a technician at the Toledo Chapter Archives and Library and has taught Modern History at the Toledo School of Humanities, where he currently teaches the course on Archival Science. He is also a visiting professor at the San Ildefonso Theological Institute.
He has participated as a researcher in five R&D projects and has completed various research stays at the universities of Bordeaux, Paris, La Paz, and Sucre.
His research has focused on church history, social history, and the history of mentalities, as well as on the publication of primary sources and descriptive catalogs from the Toledo Chapter Archive and Library. Notable among his publications are *Los Primados de Toledo 1666–1709* (Toledo: Cortes de Castilla-La Mancha, 2006), *Justicia y criminalidad en Toledo y sus Montes en la Edad Moderna* (Toledo: Toledo City Council, 2009), and *Anales del racionero Arcayos: Historical Notes on the Cathedral and Toledo (1593–1623) (Toledo, El Greco Foundation, 2014), in addition to some thirty articles published in various journals.
Samuel Rodríguez Martín
Samuel Rodríguez Martín, archaeologist and co-director of archaeology at Toledo Cathedral. A tempora. Archaeology and Heritage
Samuel Rodríguez Martín holds a bachelor’s degree in the Humanities, with a specialization in Historical Heritage, from the University of Castilla-La Mancha. He has been working as an archaeologist since 2006 and has been a partner at A tempora. Arqueología y Patrimonio since 2012.
He currently coordinates the Technical Office for Construction Projects of the Archdiocese of Toledo, serves on its Construction Commission, and acts as co-director of archaeology for the Holy Primatial Cathedral of Toledo. Throughout his career, he has participated in numerous projects involving research, conservation, restoration, and the enhancement of historical and religious heritage.
At the Toledo Cathedral, he has co-directed archaeological projects related to, among other areas, the Museum of Tapestries and Textiles, the Treasury, the Chapter House, the Transparente, the roofs, the facades, and various rooms within the cathedral complex. He has also worked on monuments such as the Archbishop’s Palace, the Santa María la Blanca Synagogue, and numerous historic churches and convents.
He is a full member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts and Historical Sciences of Toledo. His main areas of research include Christian and funerary archaeology, heritage management and outreach, and the historical development of the city of Toledo. He is also involved in teaching and outreach activities and is the author of various publications on religious architecture and Toledo’s archaeological heritage.
Antonio Sánchez-Barriga Fernández
Currently a conservator-restorer at the S.I. Primatial Cathedral of Toledo, he worked for 30 years at the Spanish Institute of Cultural Heritage and in state museums. He is a full member of the San Dámaso Academy of Art and History, a member of the Dombaumeister (European Cathedral Masters), and a technical advisor to the archdioceses of Kingston (Jamaica) and Panama.
Among his projects, the restoration of Toledo Cathedral since 1998 stands out, including recent work on the façade and the vestibule of the Chapter House, which received an award from Hispania Nostra. He is currently working on the "Transparente" project (2025).
He has 50 years of experience in the field of artistic heritage, including teaching, lectures, courses, seminars, publications, and projects in Spain, the Americas, the Middle East, and Italy.
Carsten Sußmann
Carsten Sußmann is a civil engineer specializing in structural engineering for historic buildings, historic preservation, and building damage assessment. He studied civil engineering in Braunschweig and Liverpool.
He has been a partner at the engineering and architecture firm sußmann + sußmann GmbH in Magdeburg since 2004 and has served as managing director since 2024. The firm specializes in the planning, preservation, and structural assessment of historic buildings, with a particular focus on churches and other protected monuments.
Since 2002, Carsten Sußmann has been involved in the architectural and structural preservation of Magdeburg Cathedral. Since 2023, he has also been responsible for managing the Halberstadt Cathedral building. His work combines structural engineering, preservation planning, restoration coordination, and the supervision of complex construction projects in historic buildings.
Carolina Vatteroni
Carolina Vatteroni holds a degree in Conservation and Restoration of Stone Materials and Painted Surfaces, as well as a master’s degree in Sustainable Development from the University of Pisa. She has worked on conservation projects both as an independent conservator—including at the Prince of Monaco’s Palace—and in collaboration with institutions such as the Vatican Museums and the Herculaneum Archaeological Park.
Since the beginning of his career, he has combined conservation work with research, focusing on the development of more sustainable approaches to cultural heritage conservation.
She is currently the coordinator of the Stone Conservation Department at the Opera della Primaziale Pisana.
Peter Völkle
Peter Völkle, master stonemason and stone sculptor, construction manager at the Bern Münsterbauhütte. Bern Cathedral Foundation, Bern
Master stonemason and stone sculptor. Construction manager at the Münsterbauhütte in Bern. Employee of the Bern Cathedral Foundation, Bern.
Former member of the board of directors of the European Association of Master Cathedral Builders, Master Stonemasons, and Master Workshop Craftsmen. Instructor for the national course “Craftsmanship in Monument Conservation.” Member of the board of directors of the Swiss Association of Sculptors and Stonemasons (VSBS).
Extensive experience in managing natural stone companies (Bern Cathedral Workshop, formerly Ulm Cathedral Workshop). Operational management of all natural stone work at Bern Cathedral, as well as consulting and technical supervision of projects for third parties. Various teaching activities, public relations work, and publications in the field of stonework and restoration.
Phone
+34 650 722 843
Service available in Spanish and English
schedule
Monday through Friday:
9:00 AM–3:00 PM
European Association of Cathedral Architects, Surveyors and Heads of Workshops
secretariatecnica@catedralprimada.es