The Ávila City Council, in collaboration with ACS Foundation, has completed the accessibility works in the Church of Santa María de la Cabeza, one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in the city of Ávila.

This church is one of the finest examples of Mudejar Romanesque architecture south of the Duero River. Its exterior features a simple design with two portals and a whitewashed bell gable, while the interior is characterized by the use of baked clay. Artistically, it stands out for its Renaissance and Baroque altarpieces, as well as important sculptural pieces such as the relief Lamentation over the Dead Christ by Pedro de Salamanca, one of the leading sculptors of the 16th-century Ávila school.

In the 19th century, the church served as the chapel of Ávila’s first municipal cemetery. By the early 20th century, it had become a point of attraction for Romantic and traditionalist artists, including Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer, his painter brother Valeriano Domínguez Bécquer, the Mexican artist Diego Rivera, and the Granada-born José María López Mezquita, who painted scenes inside the temple and set up his studio in a large house adjacent to the church’s apse.

The accessibility works in the church’s surroundings involved creating an accessible pathway connecting the sidewalk of Paseo de Santa María de la Cabeza with the south and west doors of the church. The west door has now been adapted as an entrance for all visitors through the installation of a portable ramp inside the temple. During the works, all granite slabs in the access corridor were repositioned, and the width of the pathway along the south and west facades was widened. Additionally, the pedestrian walkways in the garden area near the west door—formerly the site of the first municipal cemetery—were reinforced.

This accessibility upgrade aims to ensure that everyone can explore and enjoy one of the city’s lesser-known monumental areas.

From July 1 to 3 the Prado Museum will host the summer course “The Journey of Art,” organized by the Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado in collaboration with Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) and with the support of ACS Foundation. This academic and cultural program celebrates its twentieth edition, reaffirming its prominence among UCM’s Summer Courses.

Available both in-person and online, the course explores the theme of travel as a driving force behind artistic transformation, examining how artworks, styles, and artists themselves have crossed continents and eras for commercial, political, or personal reasons. From forced displacements due to wars and looting to educational and exploratory journeys, each movement has shaped the evolution of art and given rise to new creative trends.

The program features renowned specialists, including: José Manuel Matilla, Head of the Drawings, Prints, and Photographs Collection at the Prado Museum; writer María Belmonte; Lucía Villarreal, Head of the Temporary Exhibitions Department at the Museum; and philosopher and historian Krzysztof Pomian, among others.

Full program available here.

© Photography: Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado

Foundation, offers a variety of summer workshops and activities for children, focusing on art and experimentation. These activities allow children to explore painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, games, and artistic installations, drawing inspiration from the works of artists such as Pablo Picasso, Farah Atassi, and Óscar Domínguez.

There are two main programs designed for children to experiment with shapes, patterns, and materials while engaging in contemporary art in a dynamic and participatory setting: "We Are Mythological: Creation, Storytelling, and Play" and "Celebrating Summer!".

Patrimonio Nacional, with the support of ACS Foundation, launches the educational program "Discover the Royal Sites", aimed at promoting architecture among primary school students and introducing them to Patrimonio Nacional as a unique cultural institution in the world, while also bringing its historical and artistic legacy closer to visitors.

The program for the 2025/26 school year focuses on the figures of the kings and queens and the royal palaces they predominantly inhabited. Using the palaces as historical sources and the narrative thread of the monarchs who lived in them, the program will explore the historical events that took place in Spain during those periods, as well as basic architectural concepts and the significance of these buildings in the history of art.

From June to October, Cuenca hosts the 15th Edition of the Organ Music Festival "Music in the Cathedral," promoted by the Cathedral of Cuenca with the support of Globalcaja Cuenca Foundation and ACS Foundation.

Following the structure of previous editions, the program—curated by principal organist Carlos Arturo Guerra Parra and harpsichordist/organist Lucie Žáková—features eleven concerts, two training courses, and two lectures centered around the Iberian organ. This year's edition coincides with the 30th anniversary of the Cathedral’s abstract stained-glass windows and the centenary of the birth of artist Gustavo Torner.