BLH 2301Introduction to Conservation Studies Sashanne Micallef B.Sc Built Environment Studies 2015-2016 on site. Apart from the main castle in subject.dailymail. All this drew the attention of Hispania Nostra. Being a historical landmark.medievalhistories. to be gifted to Seville in the following year. in 1985. This castle saw the ruling of various regimes. along with parts of the wall. namely the entire North wall and part of the West were all lost in this collapse. It can be best described as Heritage of Cultural Interest. Its importance within the Spanish history was first acknowledged in 1949 when it was declared a monument of National value. Puerta del Sol and Puerta de los Carros respectively. Source: http://www. Later. http://www. an Andalusian town. Through the years the Castle was left in a condition of abandon with the majority of the parts inaccessible. it was also recognised as “Bien de Interes Cultural”. the collapse did not only remove its architectural element. After being returned to Muslim hands in the fourteenth century it was reconquered by Alfonso the Eleventh in 1341. Situated on the Hill of “Pajarte”. particularly in 2013 when former landslides resulted in the vaults of the tower sinking.com . saw the need to defend Iptuci. the town and the immediate villages were gifted to the Military Order of Calatrava by Alfonso the Tenth. an advanced Roman settlement in the Cora of Ronda. is a Spanish fortress which was built back in the 9th century.History The medieval castle. Omar ibn Hafsun. to highlight the deteriorated state in which it was and to warn that this situation will continue to worsen. 523 meters above sea level in the latest “Nazari” border through the Valley of Guadalete. In both 1408 and 1445. in fact the first change in ownership which is known to date is that in mid-thirteenth century. Its creator. which is a category of the heritage register in Spain. the Matrera Castle. They placed this tower within the Red List in 2014.co.uk/ . when the castle. It is located within the province of Cadiz in Northern Spain. one finds a courtyard enclosed by walls running more than 500 metres in perimeter. This courtyard is accessed by opening from the East and West sides. more precisely in Villamartin. This lead to the tower suffering strong collapse. it was besieged by the Muslims in Granada. it was a strategic point for its intent. but also the landscape reference it represented within the culture and iconography of the region. a Spanish non-profit organisation safeguarding the cultural and natural heritage of Spain. All three vaults of the tower and its vaults. all other materials used are also compatible with existing historical elements. thus using distinctive materials.newsdirectory2. its own origin. an image of the future. The Regional Government of Anadalucia approved the design. and finally to recuperate the texture. in order to further reinforce the structure and increase the definition of the edges. mortar of protection lime was applied in all elements in contact with existing stonework.Recent Interventions Carlos Quevedo Rojas. whilst rejecting any idea of falsification or even cancellation of the transition of time. in agreement with the Historical Heritage law (13/2007).” Therefore. .dailymail. this project was aimed to study the possibility of the restoration of unity. was entrusted with this challenge of restoration of the Matrera Castle. http://www. for the construction of the cores of the buttresses. Along with this re-use of limestone. the architect explained that “The essence of the project is not intended to be. tonality and most importantly the volume that it exhibited in the past. The architect stated that there were three main goals throughout this restoration project. was employed for the finishing coat. but rather a reflection of its own past. therefore.com/ . which outlaws deceiving copied reconstructions of the original monuments and highlights the need of using recognizable materials with respect to the original ones. the historical. It does not only take into recognition its aesthetic and physical consistency but also the other part of its dual polarity. This was further enhanced by using the same limestone which was found in the Tower’s base. to avoid copying the original structure. they opted to use a continuous coating similar in its composition to the one which was used originally to cover it.uk/ Apart from this coating. since the restoration project follows the criteria presented in the Italian “Restauro Critico”. whilst white mortar of similar lime used originally for the covering of the tower. All this does not mean that it is trying to lessen its value of authenticity but rather reflecting its past and its own origin. a Spanish architect. the construction of the upper casing does not only define its construction phases but it also enhances the historical value of the original battlements shots. This helps in clogging the gap and in articulating the architectural recessed unit. Source: http://news. In addition to this particular material. This was applied over mesh of glass fibre and mortar known as “bastard”. after the latter collapsed. To enhance the latter. In fact. that to consolidate structurally the elements at risk.co. were used for the consolidation of the vaults. Finally. made out of rods of glass fiber joined with epoxy resins. On the other hand. The new hanging was constructed fifteen centimetres back from the original one. there is the positioning of the new additional structure and the cleanliness of the original one. such as the aforementioned Hispania Nostra. This project has received many critiques both from the public in general and even from organisations. a ring on edge in the coronation connects the East and West buttresses and anchorages. which cleans the biological patina along with the black crust. Source: http://www.com/ . giving more importance to the latter. Others have acclaimed that it was a successful project.arquitecturaviva. the aforementioned cleanliness was carried out by utilizing “biocida”. in fact it was shortlisted in the global Architizer A+ awards and it later won the popular cote in the architecture and preservation category.For further structure stability. perhaps the most visual part of all the restoration project. Throughout the restoration project it has been stated that. In this case. since the Burra Charter clearly point out that “The cultural significance of a place and other issues affecting its future are best understood by a sequence of collecting and analysing information before making decisions”. one can note that all changes done were indeed necessary and all materials used were either ones which were found on site or others which were confirmed to have no negative effect on the existing structure. . One of such alterations is the patina.Critique As stated above this restoration project has been heavily criticised. associations and meanings”. which lead to further investigation and recovery of more information on the history of the Castle. These are said to represent an evidence of the structure’s history and significance. use. the patina should be preserved both from a historical standpoint and even from an aesthetic perspective. one cannot agree that the traces of additions and alterations to the fabric were left intact. because the material should not be preferred over the human activity and because the materials role is that of a transmitter and should not stand out to a point it overwhelms the image. This idea is in fact presented in various parts of the Burra Charter. and this limited the amount of the tower which would not have been altered in a way or another. On the other hand. Yet. particularly because of the materials used and the ultimate visuals it represented. a cautious approach calls for a change which is necessary but which is as small as possible. the restoration of this castle did not go to an extent where a suitable use of the place was exploited in order to further enhance its cultural significance. namely Article 7 and Article 23. which is hereby said to have been removed. Unfortunately. This aspect is also one point of vital importance. it seems that. Critique according to the Theory of Conservation presented by Cesare Brandi and the Burra Charter might be more appropriate. there have always been archaeological supervision of the works. the tower was left to fall in ruins before the authorities took the decision to restore it. In Cesare’s Brandi view. rather than one which is solely based on conjecture. It also states that “Conservation is based on a respect for the existing fabric. As presented by the Burra Charter in Article 3. attention was paid in order to use adequate materials which would have no bad effect on the existing structure. who explains that art enjoys a dual historical nature. Source: http://www. He adds that the interval between the two is composed of many historical presents that become parts of the art’s past.com/ On the other hand. the act that formed it and the existence in the individual consciousness.arquitecturaviva. The utilization of limestone and the particular finish make it almost impossible to remove the additional structure without harming the remains of the original Castle. the idea brought forward by Cesare Brandi. where he explained how it is specifically the whole and not the unity reached by the summation of its parts which is most important. yet these can be seen to be irreversible. This was practiced by achieving the original volume of the castle. the architect made sure to bring out the castle’s oneness. similar to how it was referred in the past. According to Brandi it is important for a work of art to retain traces of these transitions and therefore if the additional structure was removable it would go against this idea as in future year it would be removed and there would be no trace of this particular transition. On the other hand. As mentioned previously. which is also of utmost important to the landscape of the area and thus to the context within which it represents itself as a landmark. One might quote Brandi. This is also a significant part of what it is understood by cultural significance. Brandi himself states that “A Restauration . With such a permanent intervention it would be more difficult for future restorations to take place if the former would not be considered appropriate for the Castle in future years. . Article 22.should not prevent any future restorations but rather facilitate them”. a theory which is partially applied in this restoration project. This is given more prominence when taking into considerations the fluctuations in opinions which Brandi considers as “history of culture”. Brandi goes to more depth. explaining the way by which “lacunas” can be dealt. Although the material used for the structure has been criticised both for its aesthetics and also because of its permanency. most specifically the principle of difference in level put forward by Brandi himself. and the Theory of Conservation. This idea is highlighted in both the Burra Charter. In this project they used a finish which is lighter than the limestone in which the original structure was built. Only partly because Brandi says that it was only the first attempt in solving the problem of a lacuna which presented the idea of the use of a neutral colour. Finally. but this new structure was recessed a few centimetres in order to make it seem as the background of the actual true remains of the Matera Castle. Later attempts suggested that colours should stand out in order to perceive a continuation within the art work. making it difficult for the visitor to identify the eras in which they were built. one has to acknowledge the particular finish was used so as to have a recognisable addition rather than one which resembles the rest of the structure. one cannot forget about the impact this restoration project had on the historic and aesthetic value of the structure. Retrieved from http://www.co. (April 18. In Basile G.newsdirectory2. Restoration of ancient Spanish castle debated amid criticism. Castle of Matrera.theguardian. Carquero arquitectura. S. Restoration of Matrera castle. 2016). Retrieved from https://en. ICOMOS. 2016). Retrieved from http://architizer.Reference Architizer. Ridiculed restoration of Spanish castle wins architecture prize. (2013). (April 13. Retrieved from http://www. Is this the world’s worst restoration project? historians furious after ninth century Spanish castle is 'repaired' by local builders. 2016).org/wiki/Castle_of_Matrera Unknown.wikipedia. (March 10.todayonline. Retrieved from https://www.uk/news/article-3484505/Historians-furious-Spanish-castle- repaired-builders. Retrieved from http://www.). 2016)..com/projects/restoration- of-matrera-castle/ Brandi. intervention on Matrera castle in Villamartín. Rome: Istituto Centrale per il Resta.com/they-searched-the-finish-had-the-castle- tower-matrera-at-sourc Weaver. The Burra Charter: The Australia ICOMOS charter for places of cultural significance.html Unknown. (1963). (March 10. (March 11.com/world/europe/restoration-ancient-spanish-castle- debated-amid-criticism?singlepage=true Unknown. They searched the finish had the castle tower Matrera at source.dailymail. (May 8. Sobot. C.com/en/Info/News/Details/8498 Unknown. Theory of restoration. 2016). M. 2016).arquitecturaviva.com/world/2016/apr/13/matrera- castle-restoration-wins-architecture-prize-spain . Retrieved from http://news. (Ed. R. & Jones.