Stays 2019: Contemporary Imaginary of the Mudejar: broadening the view of what it means to be Mudejar and creating a map of the territory through memories and emotions.

The project Contemporary Imaginary of the Mudejar aims to renew the set of symbols and memories associated with this artistic and cultural phenomenon, going beyond mere architectural elements. It proposes an investigation and reflection from an image-centred point of view on the relationships that the inhabitants of these places have maintained not only with the monuments, but also with the landscape, the traditions, the trades or even the construction materials that reflect the true attachment to the territory. This initiative has provided a new look at the already existing visual heritage, creating and integrating a new ‘level’ which, from the present time, is added to the set of references that until now have defined what is understood as Mudejar.

In its first phase, the project has worked on the state of the question by reviewing all the photographic archives produced by different local entities and agents, seeking to construct new stories that help to disseminate the importance of the image for communication in the 21st century and that serve to teach the new visual languages that can be used to transmit a new way of “being Mudejar”.

The second phase of the stay was linked to the Cartografías de Identidades Locales project, selected by the Ministry of Culture and Sport in the 2019 call for projects for Cultural Industries for the company Ad Hoc Gestión Cultural, in the execution of which local photography was collected with neighbourhood groups. The collection activities have been carried out in several localities -Cervera de la Cañada, Belmonte de Gracián and Tobed- but have had resonance in the rest of the Mudejar Territory through the internet and social networks, which has allowed to obtain a ‘feedback’ not only virtually, but also through small displacements and meetings that are helping to “create community”. More info at: https://www.cartografiadeidentidadesrurales.es/

This research has concluded, among other things, that it is necessary to develop a specific methodology for collecting family images in rural areas in order to recover the history and “intrahistory” of the communities and to try to “professionalise” the cataloguing process. The study also points out that the concept of vernacular/popular photography should be overcome as a mere instrument of documentation and memory and understood as an instrument for building identity and projecting specific values into the future. Furthermore, it opens the door to building a network between municipalities that allows the exchange of knowledge of the images, comparing them, finding similarities and reinforcing the sense of identity of the Mudejar territory. And also to establish and strengthen the link between the citizens and the Mudejar heritage by appealing to the common history.

LINE OF RESEARCH. It can be framed in a double line of research (1) New views on Mudejar art and (5) Heritage from its social function

THE AUTHOR. Irene Ruiz holds a PhD in Art History, a degree in Fine Arts with a specialisation in photography, a technical architect, a master’s degree in restoration and a diploma in business studies. She is currently a post-doctoral researcher at the Department of Architecture and Design of the Politecnico di Torino, a job she combines with her work as a professional photographer. More info: https://polito.academia.edu/IreneRuiz

2019 Residencies: Mudejar Heritage and Learning, the pedagogical material: knowing the heritage to value it and devise rural development models

A multidisciplinary team of seven researchers has developed the research stay Landscape, cultural heritage and depopulation, which consists of the development of school materials that allow secondary school students to work in the classroom on the relationship between depopulation and cultural heritage in the villages of Territorio Mudéjar. The aim is for students to acquire skills that enable them to understand and value this heritage and to be able to formulate models and proposals for rural development that will enable them to tackle depopulation.

The materials are available in open access so that they can be used by other educational centres, thus promoting knowledge of Mudejar heritage outside the towns that form part of the Mudejar Territory. They can be accessed at: https://paisaje-patrimonio-cultural-y-despoblacin-cmzgz.hub.arcgis.com/

These materials introduce the use of ICT in the classroom, with tools similar to those already in widespread use in the professional world, and provide students with a tool for geographical analysis to work on the curricular content of the subject of Geography. Moreover, they are an educational resource that favours methodological and didactic renewal and the teacher can adapt them to the characteristics of his or her group or to specific students. All this with an online accompaniment, support and training in the use and development of this application during the course.

The materials produced are presented on a website organised into sections. On the one hand, there are multimedia applications on a specific thematic content that have been developed with Story Map Cascade, a template that allows combining narrative text, maps, images and multimedia content. In each application there are interactive maps to work with different layers of information and with activities and instructions for students. In addition, there are field project viewers for planning, capturing, analysing and presenting different field projects on intangible heritage, natural heritage, cultural heritage and landscape types. Finally, short explanatory videos on interactive maps and their tools have been added.

This project for Secondary completes Territorio Mudéjar’s initiative for Primary Education called “Rural school as the beginning of the circle” with which we want to introduce the way of working with heritage into the curricula of rural schools. The aim is for pupils to learn about and value the heritage that surrounds them and thus reinforce their roots and identity in their territory.

LINE OF RESEARCH (2) Mudejar Territory and cultural landscape

THE AUTHORS:

  • Carlos Guallart Moreno, coordinator of the project, graduate in Geography and History, master’s degree in Territorial and Environmental Organisation, Santa María del Pilar school (Zaragoza).
  • Noelia Cuartero Latorre, degree in Geography and Territorial Planning from the University of Zaragoza.
  • María Felisa Ferraz Gracia, PhD in Information and Documentation, Colegio Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Zaragoza).
  • María Laguna Marín-Yaseli, PhD in Geography, Colegio El Salvador (Zaragoza).
  • Alfredo Ollero Ojeda, PhD in Geography, Zaragoza University
  • Beatriz Rodrigo Garza, BA in Art History and MA in Cultural Heritage Management, teacher at IES La Azucarera (Zaragoza).
  • Javier Velilla Gil, graduate in Geography and History and high school teacher at IES El Portillo (Zaragoza).

More info:
www.estancias2019mudejaryaprendizaje.territoriomudejar.es

Stays 2019: Mudejar World Heritage 3D: digital graphic documentation and scholarly dissemination to revalue Mudejar architecture

The Mudejar World Heritage 3D project is a multidisciplinary initiative that proposes two complementary actions aimed at the revaluation of Mudejar heritage. On the one hand, a digital inventory has been carried out of several buildings and their virtual reconstruction using a combination of 3D scanning, photogrammetry and flight recording techniques – the Collegiate Church of Santa María in Calatayud, the church of Santa Tecla in Cervera de la Cañada, the church of the Virgin of Tobed, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the church of the Virgin of Tobed, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the church of La Virgen de Tobed, declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which have completed a previous work carried out by the research group on the church of San Félix de Torralba and to which a previous phase of work on the church of Santas Justa y Rufina de Maluenda has been added. On the other hand, the materials have been designed to bring data collection and analysis techniques and technologies closer to the school environment in the villages of Territorio Mudéjar. The first action, of a scientific nature, has allowed the virtual reconstruction of these buildings, having a high impact on the scientific community. The second, of a participatory nature, has enabled the generation of value through the creation of a brand image, Territorio Mudéjar, with a high impact on the population of these towns.

The virtual survey of the 3D building consists of capturing the real geometry of the constructed building, with current point cloud technology, which allows buildings to be replicated with sufficient precision to guarantee its knowledge, at least virtually, in the event of any eventuality. Having a three-dimensional survey makes it possible to preserve a copy of the current state of the building with absolute precision that allows it to be replicated; it helps in its maintenance because, for example, through geometric knowledge it is possible to simulate structures, damp, etc. Furthermore, it is useful for the knowledge of the building and for its dissemination, as the three-dimensional model can be inventoried and placed in three-dimensional databases, allowing the building to be visible from anywhere in the world for its study. Even scale replicas can be made with a 3D printer.

As a second action, this project proposes initiatives to raise awareness among the inhabitants of the villages of Territorio Mudéjar that they possess emblematic assets of universal value. The most accurate way to create opinion and brand image – in this case the Territorio Mudéjar brand – is through schools, as the younger population is more apt to learn and more sensitive to the digital world. Therefore, in order to revalue Mudejar art, educational exhibitions and workshops are proposed in schools with the participation of teachers, AMPAs and researchers and through the project-based learning methodology.

LINE OF RESEARCH. (1) New perspectives on Mudéjar art.

THE AUTHORS:

  • Luis Agustín Hernández, architect, PhD in Mechanical Engineering and lecturer at the School of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Zaragoza.
  • Miguel Sancho Mir, architect, PhD in Architectural Graphic Expression and lecturer at the School of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Zaragoza.
  • Beatriz Martin Domínguez, architect and lecturer at the Polytechnic University School of La Almunia, University of Zaragoza.

Stays 2019: Mudejar plaster, its current use: searching the memory of craftsmen for the keys to traditional manufacture

The research stay El plaster mudéjar, su uso actual has been the continuation of Pedro Bel’s doctoral thesis in which he has been able to confirm that the manufacturing technique of Mudéjar plaster did not change until the middle of the 20th century. This research delves into the traditional plaster manufacturing process to gain an in-depth knowledge of it and to detect the catalysts and motivations that favoured the changes to the current plaster production system, which increases the quantity and decreases the quality. This project has located the old plaster craftsmen and has documented the technique and its current variables. To this end, quarries and old plaster kilns have also been visited, documenting their state and making a 3D photogrammetric survey of those of special interest; the buildings in the territory with Mudejar plaster in characteristic elements have been identified with files. The ultimate objective of the conclusions is to revitalise the work spaces linked to the construction trades by reactivating them through a local company dedicated to the manufacture of traditional or Mudejar plaster.

The research has been carried out in the towns of Aniñón, Borja, Calatayud, Daroca, Fuentes de Ebro, La Almunia de Doña Godina, Longares, Maluenda, Quinto de Ebro, Ricla, San Mateo de Gállego, Tauste, Terrer, Tobed, Villamayor, Villafeliche and Villar de los Navarros.

The study shows that until 1950, gypsum production processes were traditional and that after this date there was a continuous technological development of the quarries. Those which were not updated quickly became obsolete and went bankrupt, so that it is common to find undismantled baked gypsum kilns or warehouses with gypsum stored in the old Aragonese quarries. The semi-industrialisation that took place in the 1950s altered the traditional gypsum and the most influential variation was the replacement of manual crushing by mechanical crushing.

In terms of external factors, the high demography, which was linked to a favourable social and economic environment, led to a high demand for materials and therefore accelerated pre-industrialisation.

LINE OF RESEARCH. (1) New perspectives on Mudejar art.

THE AUTHOR. Pedro Bel Anzué is an architect and holds a PhD in Architectural Heritage Restoration from the University of Granada.

Countdown to the second call for research stays in Territorio Mudéjar

If you have an idea and a Mudéjar Territory place where to develop it, we are already offering you a preview of the 2nd call for the Gonzalo M. Borrás Gualis Research Stays and Projects 2020, which will open its deadline for applications on the 10th. In the meantime, we have prepared a summary of the key aspects we are looking for in the proposals and a major update of the contents of our website, with a summary of the results of the 2019 call in the projects section, as well as an overview of the localities that make up our entity.

If you need guidance on what kind of proposals you can put forward, from today, our 2019 resident researchers will be explaining their proposals and results through our Facebook, Instagram and YouTube channels.

In addition, an explanatory video is available from the director of Territorio Mudéjar, Victoria Trasobares, on the characteristics of these grants, the requirements and the five lines of research: New perspectives on Mudejar art; Mudejar Territory and cultural landscape; Management of cultural heritage; Communication and dissemination of Mudejar heritage, and Mudejar heritage and its social function as a key element of territorial development. At the end of May we will also open live forums for the resolution of doubts.

Soon we will tell you the details of the call and we will inform you about all the news. We hope you will participate and we will see you at Territorio Mudéjar!

You can find us at

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNlRwwS3qWi6qmHcEa6UQxQ?view_as=subscriber

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/proyectoterritoriomudejar/

INSTAGRAM: @territoriomudejar

LINKEDIN:@territoriomudejar (company profile)

Territorio Mudéjar, main feature of the UNESCO “World Heritage” magazine

Our towns are featured in an extensive article in the first issue of this landmark magazine

The towns and heritage of Territorio Mudéjar are featured in the first issue of “World Heritage” magazine, published by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre. This landmark magazine has devoted two pages to Mudejar art in the province of Zaragoza, outlining the key points that make Mudejar a unique, avant-garde style in which we can read the history of Aragon.

The article, which is available in Spanish, English and French, explains how the Mudejar art of Aragon, the architecture of which was declared World Heritage by UNESCO in 2001 due to its “universality, uniqueness and authenticity”, tells the story of our region and reveals an extraordinary rural setting that contrasts with the more ethnographic image commonly associated with villages. It is cultured, refined architecture that, nonetheless, remains close to everyday life and shows us a region that exudes intellectualism and beauty.

Here is the link for you to read the article:

Territorio Mudéjar presents its model at the MOMAr Interreg Europe meeting in Corsica

At this event, we exchanged good practices in managing sustainable rural heritage with a focus on people

Territorio Mudéjar traveled to the French island of Corsica to take part in a meeting of the MOMAr Interreg Europe project*, an initiative led by the Provincial Government of Zaragoza for the purpose of designing new rural heritage management models that foster sustainable development and adapt to the specific features of each region.

There, we exchanged good practices on a highly interesting topic: “Without people, there are no resources: local management exchanges observing efficiency, sustainability and demographic fragility”. This idea is in Territorio Mudéjar’s genes, since we work as a network around heritage resources in the Mudejar field, always closely linked to the towns and their inhabitants. We are convinced that heritage is alive and evolving because it is part of a context that is lived in, urban, and in the midst of people.

Some of the inspirational examples of heritage management that we learned about include the Route of the Romanesque in Germany, the monumental churches and farms in Groningen (the Netherlands), the efforts to preserve traditional Romanian embroidery on blouses in Mehedinti county and, of course, two projects from Aragon: the sustainable networked management of Territorio Mudéjar and promotion of the ancient village of Belchite (Provincial Government of Zaragoza).

Territorio Mudéjar discussed the management of cultural heritage as a possible strategy for the future. We believe that places in which historical, cultural and natural heritage resources are managed in a conscientious and intelligent manner are resilient, distinctive and identity-based. Places for investment, development and future.

Our efforts are based on these foundations, and this is how we have explained it at the meeting, in addition to discussing how our unified, collaborative network for heritage management works, and talking about all aspects of the Mudejar (architecture, urban design, landscape, popular culture and more) and about the projects we are implementing.

Together, we strive to design new strategies for rural heritage management that foster sustainable development and adapt to the unique identity of each region.

Our hosts gave us a first-hand view of how they work at the Corsican Movable Heritage Conservation and Restoration Center (CCRPMC) located at Fort Charlet in the town of #Calvi, which is in charge of safeguarding the knowledge, preservation and promotion of this heritage. There, we discovered their resources and magnificent artistic and religious heritage.

We also traveled to the city of Corte to learn about the project for the transformation of its citadel, built in the 15th century, and its watchtower, which presides over the entire city. In addition, we also visited the temporary exhibitions at the Museum of Corsica.

*MOMAr is the acronym for the project name: Models of Management for Singular Rural Heritage.

More information: https://www.interregeurope.eu/momar/

Rural schools and heritage, a forward-looking partnership

Territorio Mudéjar is participating in the first workshops on rural schools, organized by the Centro de Profesorado (Center for Teachers) in Calatayud.

Rural schools in Aragon have always been a laboratory for rural innovation. Some of the most avant-garde educational initiatives have arisen there, later expanding to other schools in Aragon and even being duplicated across the country. One of the reasons for the success of these rural school projects is that they use the land as a reference for learning, making the environment a necessary element of the curriculum in order to educate with a sense of roots. At Territorio Mudéjar we share and promote these same distinguishing features, so we could not miss the “Escuela rural en clave de futuro” (Rural schools in terms of the future) workshops organized by the Center for Teachers in Calatayud.

We were there today, not only to accompany the teachers and schools from our Territorio Mudéjar (schools in the districts of Aranda, Campo de Daroca and Comunidad de Calatayud), but we also had the opportunity to discuss with some of them how we believe that heritage and education form a perfect partnership for innovation.

At Territorio Mudéjar we are working on several projects related to education: “Escuela rural como inicio del círculo” (Rural schools as the start of a circle) and research and development on educational materials. On the one hand, we aim to introduce ways of working with heritage into rural school curricula and, on the other, we intend to provide materials and resources to schools to help students learn to appreciate the natural and cultural heritage in their towns and to enable them to generate proposals for economic and demographic growth in order to counteract depopulation trends.

More info: http://profesoradocalatayud.catedu.es/escuela-rural-en-clave-de-futuro/

Territorio Mudéjar participates in the first meeting of the European MOMAr project

The aim of this project, which involves regions from five other countries and which will continue until January 2023, is to design new models for managing unique rural heritage.

In conjunction with other entities devoted to heritage management and rural development, Territorio Mudéjar took part in the first meeting with local agents from the province of Zaragoza in the European Interreg MOMAr project –Models of Management for Singular Rural Heritage-, an initiative led by the Provincial Government of Zaragoza for the purpose of designing new rural heritage management models that foster sustainable development and adapt to the specific features of each region.

The MOMAr project has a budget of EUR 1.2 million, and involves five other regional governments from five different European countries. It was approved last year, began in September with an initial meeting in Zaragoza of the six participating administrations, and will continue until January 2023.

The ultimate goal is to create a working document that outlines an action plan for the province of Zaragoza entailing all the stakeholders involved in heritage management and dissemination.

More information: https://www.interregeurope.eu/momar/

Video: https://www.facebook.com/315247192523931/videos/577438746140624/

FITUR 2020: Territorio Mudéjar as a role model of sustainable tourism and cultural heritage

Territorio Mudéjar is presenting at the leading international tourism trade fair a model for access to heritage that poses an opportunity to uphold local communities

Territorio Mudéjar is present at FITUR 2020, the leading tourism trade fair, which has become an excellent showcase for spotlighting the potential of our towns and heritage, as well as our proposal for smart, ‘green’ tourism strongly linked to the towns and their inhabitants.

At Territorio Mudéjar we strive to develop Mudejar heritage management practices that foster responsible, sustainable tourism designed by those in the places where the heritage is located, always in conjunction with their inhabitants.

We believe that heritage is a driving force for the development and identity of our towns. And we consider preservation, research and dissemination of the Mudejar identity to be key factors in the creation of tourism activities, which must always be designed from within the region and in conjunction with its inhabitants.

Therefore, we have aligned our work with the goals of Agenda 2030 and with the SDGs, as our guiding principles.

In this sense, as we shall explain at FITUR:

  • We promote the management of local eco-systems, extraction and use of nearby materials, native trades and craftsmanship that reduce energy consumption, and investments, all of which aid in the creation of sustainable means of subsistence and encourage green economies.
  • We believe that knowledge is key: accessibility to heritage as a starting point. We contribute our perspective in the construction of quality education at all levels that promotes learning opportunities which we believe to be crucial in the promotion of economic growth and high quality work.
  • We work with heritage space as a concentrator for rural innovation: new uses, workplace innovation, gender equality, inter-generational experiences and, in sum, working to reduce the inequality that arises, in our case, from working with world renowned heritage in a rural setting.

We firmly believe that places in which heritage resources – historical, cultural and natural – are managed in a conscientious and intelligent manner are resilient, distinct and identity-based places. They are places for investment, development and future.

To better spotlight our region, we will also be presenting a video at FITUR 2020, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wiCaStafQfA