Restauración de Muros de Tapia de las Huertas del Generalife (Plan de Conservación de las estructuras de Tapial en La Alhambra)Restoration of the Adobe Walls of the Generalife Gardens (Plan forthe Conservation of the Adobe Wall Structures in The Alhambra.)

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The Alhambra landmark has been on the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites since 1984. Since 2007, throughthe Alhambra Management Plan, different kinds of strategies have been introduced to make the Alhambra a relevant cultural heritage site. The Management Plan framework includes a chapter on the archeology of thelandscape and its relationship to the conservation of the site.The project for the restoration of the Generalife gardens encompasses the following objectives: firstly, to conserve the garden’s walled structures, and secondly, to find out about the agricultural morphology of the area ofthese gardens, one of the oldest and least studied aspects of the Alhambra and Generalife monuments forming,what is more, one of the most characteristic and autochthonous landscapes on the hills of Muslim Alhambra.The project for the restoration of the adobe walls of the Large Garden, began with a programme of prior studiesin 2004-2006 (with economic funding from the Getty Institute, through Architectural conservation grants). Theproject, currently in an archeological and excavation work phase, is providing essential data for understandingthe complete configuration of the Generalife gardens. The development of the restoration site, supported by archeological research and geological, archeobotanical and documentary studies, is reassessing the traditionalview of the gardens held until today, contributing to a better understanding of both its spatial organization andits historical evolution, as well as the very materials the walls are made of.Only through the data provided by all these sciences will it be possible to find an adequate solution for the complete conservation and reconstruction of the Generalife gardens and its landscape in relation to the Alhambramonument. It is clear, through this project, how archaeology plays an indispensible role in understanding howan object has evolved over time, offering keys for the correct interpretation and restoration of architecture andarchitectural surroundings.Throughout the project, we have been committed to the fundamental criteria of interdisciplinary collaborationand a continuous dialogue between architects and archeologists, considering this exchange of information to bean indissoluble and essential requirement for assessing historical monuments.