The vice president of the regional government has presented the poster and theme of this edition, which returns to Zamora after 25 years and whose exhibitions will take place in the Cathedral and the church of San Cipriano.
June 12, 2025
Castilla y León | Department of Family and Equal Opportunities
‘Hope’ is the motto under which the new edition of ‘The Ages of Man’ will take place in Zamora between October of this year and April of 2026, coinciding with the Jubilee Year 2025. The Cathedral and the church of San Cipriano will be the main venues for this prestigious and historic exhibition, while the church of San Isidoro will serve as a dissemination center.
The Vice President of the Castilla y León Regional Government, Isabel Blanco, presented today in the capital of Zamora, precisely in the church of San Cipriano, both the poster and the theme that will be addressed during the new edition of ‘The Ages of Man’: «a song of hope that invites us to look towards the future and truth, without fear.»
The exhibition will take a journey through art about the Cross and the Resurrection of Jesus, which are the main parts of this exhibition, as explained by the ‘number two’ of the regional government. The event also featured the participation of the Minister of Culture, Tourism, and Sports, Gonzalo Santonja; the Bishop of Zamora, Fernando Valera; the President of the Provincial Council, Javier Faúndez; the Mayor of Zamora, Francisco Guarido, and the Secretary General of the Ages of Man Foundation, Enrique Martín.
This project of the Ages of Man Foundation, supported by the Castilla y León Regional Government through a direct grant of one million euros —currently in the process of being processed—, is a cultural event with great repercussions for the cities and municipalities where it is celebrated. Therefore, the regional government is also developing an exclusive promotion plan to enhance both the exhibitions and their tourist aspect, as explained by Isabel Blanco. Furthermore, it reaffirms Castilla y León as a prominent destination for religious and cultural tourism internationally.
Promotion of Employment
In addition to this million euros, we must add the contribution from the Department of Industry, Commerce, and Employment —through the Public Employment Service of Castilla y León—, which will support the event with a grant of over 100,000 euros to promote the employment of unemployed individuals. These contracts will be aimed at carrying out works and services of general and social interest to meet the municipal needs for the exhibition. Likewise, the contracted workers will be able to carry out actions that enhance the historical and cultural heritage of the environment, thus contributing to turning the exhibition into a true asset that promotes job creation.
The Minister of Family and Equal Opportunities also considers the choice of Zamora, the capital of Romanesque art, to be a success, offering an imposing heritage, cultural, natural, and gastronomic offer, and where the program ‘Romanesque Zamora’ was developed, allowing interventions in 22 temples, movable property, and urban environments. Also, because in this city, the religious sense has been united with the festive tradition, fully preserving the significance of the Zamora Passion processions.
Isabel Blanco referred to the poster of this edition, an image full of symbolism whose letters nod to Zamora. They remind, she added, of the passage of ‘The Ages of Man’ through the city a quarter of a century ago, when, under the title ‘RemembranZa’, the XI centenary of the foundation of the provincial Diocese was commemorated. The poster evokes, with a single glance, the passage from death to life, from Passion to Resurrection, instilling hope.
Almost 40 years of The Ages of Man
The cultural project that began 37 years ago under the name ‘The Ages of Man’ has become a significant event dedicated to the conservation, research, and dissemination of the cultural heritage of Castilla y León. More than 5,300 works have been exhibited in about 40 temples, with a total of over twelve million accumulated visitors.
Meanwhile, the Castilla y León Regional Government has maintained a constant commitment to the initiative throughout this time, both from a financial perspective and through the restoration of buildings and pieces. This project exemplifies the regional government’s strategy in this area: to promote and encourage the total and innovative management of the cultural heritage of the Community through a model that integrates all sector agents. But above all, it seeks to facilitate access to culture for the citizens.
But this success in attendance goes beyond the number of visitors. The ‘The Ages of Man’ project is, in itself, a model of economic and social development based on the conservation, management, and dissemination of heritage, as it is a great opportunity to generate employment both in the sector itself and indirectly in those municipalities where the exhibitions take place, as they energize their tourism, gastronomic offerings, and therefore, their local economies. Altogether, ‘The Ages’ are already a hallmark and a national and international reference of Castilian and Leonese sacred art.
In addition to the Regional Government, other administrations and entities support this edition of the exhibition: Zamora Provincial Council, Zamorarte Foundation, CaixaBank, the Diocese of Zamora, Renfe, Once, and the City Council of Zamora.