Portico de Gloria replica in London

For anyone who doesn't know the Victoria and Albert museum in London has a copy of the Portico de Gloria which can be seen a lot more easily than the original in the Cathedral of Santiago (especially with all of the work going on around it at the moment).

This was cast in 1866 by Domenico Brucciani and was apparently a complicated enterprise involving long negotiations with Church authorities and then a sea voyage to England which was beset by storms and then the structure had to be fumigated against cholera.

It's held in the Cast Courts which can be found by walking to the entrance, going to stand in front of the shop then turning right and walking right down the corridor where you'll find the Cast Courts on the left (there are two: one for Italy and one for Europe, it's the second of these that you want and just walk all the way to the back).

You can also go two floors up and look over the Portico from one of the museum's balconies (Victoria and Albert museum)

(Victoria and Albert museum)

The Tree of Jesse (Victoria and Albert museum)

(Victoria and Albert museum)

The first view of the portico as you enter (behind Trajan's Column!) (Victoria and Albert museum)

Producing a cast first involves taking plaster moulds of the original (the two are kept apart through the use of a separating agent). Sculptures have projections and large casts were made in several pieces which would then be enclosed in an outer casing whilst the interior had a separating agent applied so that the plaster can be removed once dry. As it is made in many pieces the true skill in the Portico de zGloria came in joining the pieces so that the lines cannot be seen.

Visiting the V and A is free and information on opening times and how to get there can be found at: http://www.vam.ac.uk/visiting/visitor-information/

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