Preliminary Studies of the Coastal Defenses of Cullera’s Cape Built during the Spanish Civil War: From Historical Study to Formal Analysis

Abstract

The Spanish Civil War is a chapter of a historical memory that has been avoided for years, rejecting any lived event. In recent years, this trend is changing, and public administrations are beginning to promote its recovery, starting by declaring this heritage as an Asset of Local Relevance. The aim of the current research is to study, analyze, and document the military constructions erected by the Government of the Republic during 1936–1939, at the Cullera’s Cape (Valencia). The research begins with the historical context definition, to subsequently approach the study of the material remains, analyzed after an exhaustive and rigorous graphic documentation work. The methodology followed had to be adapted to the needs of the constructions and their surroundings, which led to the use of a combination of 3D survey techniques based on terrestrial laser scanning and digital photogrammetry methods. Accordingly, we were able to digitize, geometrize, and document both the buried and the exposed construction remains, in a correct and precise manner. This is a unique and unprecedented investigation despite its significance and historical relevance. The present work can serve as a basis for the musealization of the site, contributing to its recovery and enhancement.

Keywords

• laser scanning
• photogrammetry
• Spanish Civil War
• military architecture
• cultural heritage
• Cullera