Publications
Reconstrucción 3D histórica y difusión digital del patrimonio arquitectónico en peligro: el caso del Monasterio de Nuestra Señora del Risco (Amavida, Ávila)
A groundbreaking digital approach successfully reconstructs the Monasterio de Nuestra Señora del Risco, a UNESCO-listed site in Ávila, Spain, capturing its 18th-century splendor and documenting its historical transformations. Using 3D modeling and virtual 4D tours, researchers integrated architectural elements, site characteristics, and functional insights, while also tracking displaced original components. This method overcomes traditional limitations by providing an immersive, interpretative experience that enhances understanding of the monastery's cultural significance. The study highlights how digital techniques can preserve endangered heritage by offering a detailed, atmospheric recreation of its past, including interior decor, furniture, and lighting, to convey its historical and spiritual essence. The project also addresses unique challenges posed by the monastery's irregular terrain, setting a precedent for similar reconstructions.
Algunas noticias sobre plateros y platería en Ávila
Research reveals a rich history of silversmithing in Ávila, Spain, with evidence of dozens of silversmiths from Madrid, Ávila, Naples, and other regions active in the 18th and 19th centuries. These artisans were responsible for crafting or repairing silver works in various parishes across the region, as documented through meticulous analysis of account books. The study sheds light on the cultural and economic significance of silversmithing during this period, highlighting its role in both artistic expression and religious practices.
Surveying the vascular flora of the Iberian Central Range: a critical checklist of the Ávila province flora
A comprehensive checklist of the vascular flora of Ávila province, Spain, identifies 1960 taxa (1797 native and 163 introduced), marking a significant advancement in understanding the region's biodiversity. This study integrates critical bibliographic reviews, extensive fieldwork, and herbaria collections, incorporating recent molecular phylogeny research to refine taxonomic classification. The findings highlight the province's unique floristic spectrum and conservation status, with notable nomenclatural updates, such as reclassifying Exaculum within Schenkia. The research provides a comparative analysis against neighboring provinces, offering insights into Ávila's ecological regions—La Moraña, Sierra de Gredos, and Sierra de Malagón—and their botanical diversity.
Unpacking World Heritage cultural clusters through the interplay of urban tourism and gentrification
Urban tourism and gentrification in Spanish World Heritage cities, including Ávila, reshape cultural strategies while potentially limiting plural cultural expressions. Research reveals that touristification can act as a mitigating factor against gentrification, though discrepancies often exist between urban policy and the socio-cultural realities of residents. The study, conducted through surveys, public domain data, and in-depth interviews across five cities, highlights stagnant or differentiated phases of gentrification and underscores the need for adaptive cultural policies to address demographic decline and aging urban fabrics.
50 Years After the World Heritage Convention. An analysis of the evolution of the concepts of Monuments and Authenticity
Historic centers listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Ávila's Old Town, exhibit a convergence of diverse concepts of authenticity and monuments despite their geographical and temporal variations. This study reveals that these sites preserve distinctive features while upholding values of authenticity and outstanding universal significance across centuries. The analysis, conducted through a curricular internship at the University of Bologna, examined nine historic centers—Lyon, Provins, Albi, Florence, Pienza, Urbino, Córdoba, Toledo, and Ávila—to assess how interpretations of authenticity and monuments have evolved since the 1972 World Heritage Convention. The findings highlight the adaptability of these concepts while maintaining their core values, offering insights into the preservation challenges and strategies for such sites.
Cultural Heritage as an Inspiration for Placemaking in the Historic City: A Transversal Approach
A transversal approach to placemaking in historic cities reveals how interdisciplinary collaboration can redefine cultural heritage integration and urban development. This study demonstrates that combining site-specific arts, archaeology, architecture, and urban planning—applied across Belgrade (Serbia), Bucharest (Romania), Ávila (Spain), and Hamburg (Germany)—enables a more nuanced understanding of relational dynamics within historic contexts. By examining stakeholders such as minorities and communities, the research clarifies how cultural expressions, practices, and heritage regulation can shape contemporary urban landscapes while preserving historical significance. The findings underscore the potential for ethical, culture-based placemaking to reimagine heritage in historic cities, aligning with UNESCO’s Historic Urban Landscape Approach.
Walkability under Climate Pressure: Application to Three UNESCO World Heritage Cities in Central Spain
A generalized decrease in walkability is projected for three UNESCO World Heritage cities—Salamanca, Ávila, and Segovia—due to climate change pressures. The study introduces a novel methodology to calculate walkability indices, incorporating factors like facilities, accessibility, urban density, green spaces, and climate variables such as temperature and solar radiation. The findings reveal that while city centers and newer neighborhoods exhibit high walkability scores, peripheral areas face significant declines under future climate scenarios, particularly in high greenhouse gas emission models. This methodology serves as a valuable tool for sustainable tourist route planning, identifying the most resilient areas for pedestrian movement.
Abandon and reuse - The engineered space at a time of pandemics
A critical re-evaluation of UNESCO World Heritage sites, such as Ávila's Old Town, reveals that their management must adapt to modern cultural and social dynamics. The study challenges traditional conservation paradigms by integrating narrative interpretations from inhabitants and visitors, showcasing how these perspectives drive idiosyncratic innovations in urban fabric. Using a mixed methodology combining qualitative interviews, open data cross-referencing, and GIS analysis, the research demonstrates that sustainable development of historic centers hinges on balancing physical preservation with social awareness. This approach, informed by COST Action projects (2019-2023), offers new frameworks for managing cultural diversity in World Heritage cities.
Energy Consumption of the Urban Transport Fleet in UNESCO World Heritage Sites: A Case Study of Ávila (Spain)
A mathematical model has been developed to optimize the energy efficiency of urban transport fleets, particularly in UNESCO World Heritage Sites where full fleet replacement may not be feasible. Applied to Ávila's 6 urban transport (UT) lines, this model prioritizes partial fleet renewal by identifying routes with the greatest potential for energy savings through regenerative braking systems. The approach ensures economic resource optimization and simplifies route planning for passenger transport. This study provides a practical tool for balancing sustainability goals with operational constraints in heritage-sensitive urban settings.
Estudio experimental in situ del comportamiento hídrico de un tramo del lienzo oeste de la Muralla de Ávila
A novel experimental approach using capacitive sensors (FDR probes) successfully demonstrated their efficacy in analyzing moisture behavior in the western section of Ávila's historic wall. The study revealed that these non-invasive sensors can effectively track water inputs from precipitation and subsurface sources, as well as assess the impact of conservation interventions like adarve impermeabilization and intramuros/extramuros drainage systems. This methodology offers a robust tool for monitoring capillary moisture in heritage masonry structures, providing critical insights for their preservation.
The instrumental time of memory: local politics and urban aesthetics in a tourism context
Tourism, as a capitalist creation, not only consumes places but also reshapes collective memory by prioritizing instrumental and commercial values over aesthetic-expressive ones. This study, using a socio-anthropological approach with long-term participant observation, reveals how the tourism chronotope in Ávila's historic center uproots local anchors of memory, leading to the adoption of uniformities and the abusive occupation of public space based on visitors' imaginaries. The research highlights the tension between tourism-driven development and the preservation of place-specific identities, urging further testing of its model for broader applicability.
Multi-risk analysis on European cultural and natural UNESCO heritage sites
A multi-criteria risk analysis identifies the Old Town of Ávila with its Extra-Muros Churches as one of Europe's most critical UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHS) due to seismic hazards, particularly in Mediterranean regions. The study introduces a new UNESCO Risk Index (URI), which quantifies risk by combining hazard levels—such as landsliding, seismic shaking, and volcanic activity—with potential damage factors. These factors account for site type, position relative to ground, and hazard specificity. Applied both at the site level and within individual properties, this method reveals varying risk zones even within a single WHS. The approach underscores the significance of seismic risks in shaping heritage vulnerability across Europe.
On the Use of Historical Flights for the Urban Growth Analysis of Cities Through Time: The Case Study of Avila (Spain)
A novel methodology combining historical aerial images with modern photogrammetric techniques enables the analysis of urban growth over time, providing valuable 4D spatio-temporal data for cities. The study demonstrates that incremental Structure from Motion can effectively process historical imagery, such as the 1956 American flight and a 2017 digital aerial survey, to assess changes in urban landscapes with high georeferencing accuracy. This approach offers researchers a powerful tool to identify and describe urban development patterns, supporting sustainable city planning. The case study of Ávila (Spain) validates the method's applicability, offering insights into urban growth dynamics between 1956 and 2017.
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