Overview
- The MNAC presented an incomplete risk-evaluation report to the judge on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, calling preparatory work and the fragmentation/disassembly phases 'critical' and 'unacceptable with current knowledge'.
- The museum said it could not evaluate unloading and reinstallation because it lacks information on the receiving site and asked for more time plus validation by a committee of top international experts.
- MNAC plans to move the eight 'profane' fresco panels this summer and had awarded the removal, packing, transport and reinstall contract in May to SIT Proyectos for about €62,000, with dismantling initially scheduled for July 6.
- The Gobierno de Aragón said the MNAC moved too fast, demanded full technical project documentation by July 10, insisted that Aragonese technicians supervise any work, and will put the file before the Provincial Heritage Commission on July 28.
- Legal pressure remains intense because a Supreme Court order set a 56-week timetable for restitution, the more damaged chapter-house frescoes are still in litigation, and Aragón has warned it may seek forced execution if returns do not meet judicial deadlines.