Análisis territorial y caracterización tipológica-constructiva de la torre del Villar de Oria (Almería) mediante modelos digitales

Dotted strategically around the entire province of Almería (Spain) are numerous defence elements belonging to the Kingdom of Granada. Recent investigations have produced new sets of plans using photogrammetry, the results of which have furnished information about the geometry and pathological status of the wall structures, as well as the factors that determined these elements. Other important studies have conducted spatial analyses of defence systems along the coast of Almería. However, only a few studies have approached these cultural assets from different scales, viewing them as a part of a general development. This article aims to provide new knowledge about these fortifications obtained through the use of digital models based on different software programs, and it therefore sheds light on their territorial scale, the scale of the architectural objects themselves and the scale of their materiality. Taking the Villar de Oria tower as a case study, the first step was to conduct a territorial study using geographical information systems in order to understand the reason behind the placement of the tower and its relationship with other nearby defence elements and the immediate vicinity. The next step was to examine geometric and architectural aspects of the tower, and the final stage of the study was a typological-construction characterisation of the building systems and the materiality identified in the wall analysis. The results obtained contribute to existing knowledge about the cultural heritage associated with the old Kingdom of Granada in a general context. They also provide a baseline for conducting comparative and chrono-typological studies of other nearby defence infrastructures.