PROCEEDINGS of the International Conference on Modern Age Fortifications of the Western Mediterranean Coast

FORTMED 2015

DEFENSIVE ARCHITECTURE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN XV TO XVIII CENTURIES

Vol. II

Editor

Pablo Rodríguez-Navarro

Universitat Politècnica de València. Spain

EDITORIALUNIVERSITAT POLITÈCNICA DE VALÈNCIA

IV

Colección Congresos UPV

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y según el procedimiento que se recoge en http://ocs.editorial.upv.es/index.php/FORTMED/FORTMED2015

© editor

Pablo Rodríguez-Navarro

© de los textos: los autores

© 2015, de la presente edición: Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València

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Imprime:

ISBN : 978-84-9048-377-0 (obra completa)

ISBN : 978-84-9048-426-5 (Vol. II)

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/CONGR.2015

Modern Age Fortifications of the Western Mediterranean Coast.

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4.0 Internacional.

Basada en una obra en http://ocs.editorial.upv.es/index.php/Congreso (URL del congreso en OCS)

IX

Defensive Architecture of the Mediterranean. XV to XVIII centuries / Vol II / Rodríguez-Navarro (Ed.)

© 2015 Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València

Table of contents

Preface .................................................................................................................................................... XV

Contributions ........................................................................................................................................... 01

RESEARCH ON BUILT HERITAGE

Research on construction techniques of the “genoese” coastal towers in southern Corsica (built

between XVI and XVII century) ................................................................................................................ 03

P. R. Altamura

The Royal Citadel of Messina. Hypothesis of architectural restoration for the conservation and

use .............................................................................................................................................................. 11

F. Armaleo, M. Bonna, Mª Grazia, I. Bruno, S. Bucca, V. Cutropia, N. Fazio, L. Felice,

F. Gulletta, V. Mondi, E. Morabito, C. Rizzo

El enigma de las Casas Reales del sitio arqueológico de Panamá Viejo .................................................... 19

S. I. Arroyo

Il castello templare di Peniscola, da fortezza di epoca crociata a cittadella tardo rinascimentale .............. 27

S. Bertocci

The triangular fortress of Butrint, Albania. New studies for the conservation and the valorization .......... 33

M. G. Bevilacqua, R. Pierini, M. Pierotti, P. Ruschi

La Real Cittadella di Messina. Approccio architettonico alle preesistenze e restauro ............................... 41

A. Bonifacio

Orbetello, a fortress on the water. A research for the valorization of the city and its bastioned

front ........................................................................................................................................................... 49

A. Cartei, M. G. Bevilacqua, C. Calvani, R. Pierini, D. Taddei

La protección contra los corsarios: el recinto fortificado de Mascarell ...................................................... 57

Mª. E. Casar Furió, Mª T. Broseta Palanca

Les phares antiques, entre défense et aide à la navigation. Exemples en Méditerranée

Occidentale ................................................................................................................................................ 65

J. Christiansen

X

El Castillo de Cullera. Adecuaciones del castillo islámico ........................................................................ 71

J. M. Climent Simón, Mª. I. Giner García, A. Rodrigo Molina

Intervención y puesta en valor de la Torre del Molinete en Mazarrón y su entorno paisajístico y

patrimonial ................................................................................................................................................. 79

P. E. Collado Espejo

Las murallas urbanas de Córdoba (Villa y Axerquía) en la Edad Moderna ............................................... 87

C. Courault

Proteger y defender la Manga del Mar Menor: estudio histórico-arqueológico de la Torre de San

Miguel del Estacio y la Torre de la Encañizada ......................................................................................... 95

B. Cutillas Victoria

Fortaleza de Altea .................................................................................................................................... 103

J. M. Del Rey Aynat

Fortifications and landscape system: geological and geomorphological resilience in the

development of the La Spezia Gulf .......................................................................................................... 111

S. Di Grazia, L. Marinaro

De Grunenberg’s fortifications in Augusta. Knowledge and conservation of a neglected heritage ......... 119

E. M. Di San Lio, Mª. R. Vitale, F. Aliffi, S. Macca

El alcázar de Pastrana .............................................................................................................................. 127

E. J. Fernández Tapia

El castillo de Almansa: ejemplo de adaptación de un castillo a las teorías de la fortificación del

siglo XV ................................................................................................................................................... 135

J. F. García Sáez

Castles in southern Italy, diagnostic plan for knowledge and the enhancement ....................................... 143

C. Gattuso, Ph. Gattuso, B. Elena, V. Caramazza

Fortifications in the port area of Messina and Palermo between destruction, oblivion and debates

on their restoration ................................................................................................................................... 151

C. Genovese

La Torre del Grau Vell en la defensa de la Costa de Sagunto .................................................................. 159

T. Gil Piqueras, P. Rodríguez-Navarro

Los baluartes del palacio señorial de Betxí ¿Una fortificación real o ficticia? ......................................... 167

F. Iborra Bernad, Mª A. Sebastià Esteve, G. Aguilella Arzo

Identification and valuing the spanish fortification in Algeria. Case of the town of Bejaia ..................... 175

A. Korichi

Una splendida cittadella fortificata a presidio dello Stretto di Messina ................................................... 183

M. Lo Curzio, M. Lo Curzio

XI

Del castillo medieval al palacio-fortaleza ................................................................................................ 191

C. López González

The coastal military architecture of World War II in Sardinia ................................................................. 199

M. Mameli, P. Sanjust

El ensanche de Santa Catalina: un urbanismo defensivo ......................................................................... 207

O. Mansergas Sellens

Fortifications in the territory of Alessandria: an heritage to preserve and enhance.................................. 215

A. Marottaa

Los sistemas defensivos del Real Arsenal de Cartagena (S. XVIII) ........................................................ 223

J. A. Martínez-López

Muro Mediterráneo: búnkeres y baterías para la defensa del litoral (1936-39) ........................................ 231

A. Martínez Medina

The castle of Collalto Sabino. Transformations and restorations ............................................................. 239

V. Montanari

Affinities in construction techniques of a unitary project: the coastal towers of the Asinara

Island (Sardinia)....................................................................................................................................... 243

S. Murru

Estudio del sistema defensivo de Orán .................................................................................................... 251

S. Niar, F. Lasheras Merino

Artillery barriers built by the Catholic Monarchs in the Granada coastal fortifications: the

Castles of Almuñecar and Salobreña ....................................................................................................... 257

A. Orihuela Uzal, A. Almagro Gorbea

The complex of San Lorenzo del Chagres in Panama: historical development and survey project

for the documentation of the Caribbean fortress ...................................................................................... 265

S. Parrinello, F. Picchio

Trasformations and Permanences of landscape and architecture: the Minerva Tower of Punta

Campanella in the Sorrento-Amalfi Peninsula ......................................................................................... 273

S. Pollone, L. Romano

El sistema defensivo del Antemural del Pacífico y Llave del Mar del Sur. Las fortificaciones de

la Cuenca de Valdivia y la Bahía de Corral (Chile) ................................................................................. 281

E. Prieto Ustio

Una fortaleza entre cielo y mar: hipótesis de conservación y valorización .............................................. 289

E. Romeo

Las fortificaciones militares del S. XVIII en Cartagena .......................................................................... 295

D. Ros McDonelle, Mª. Mestre Martí, E. De Andrés Rodríguez

XII

La muralla del vendaval de Cádiz ............................................................................................................ 303

J. Mª. Sánchez Carrión

La recuperación de los colores originales de las Torres de Quart de Valencia......................................... 311

A. Torres Barcino, J. Serra Lluch, J. Llopis Verdú, J. L. Higón Calvet, B. Saiz Mauleón,

R. Villaplana Guillén

The defense of fortified ruins on the Italian coast .................................................................................... 319

A. Ugolini, Ch. Mariotti

Le torri costiere del Regno di Sardegna: costruzione, danni e restauri .................................................... 327

D. Vacca

La Torreta de Castielfabib, ¿una torre defensiva hexagonal tardomedieval? ........................................... 333

A. Vázquez-Esparza

CHARACTERIZATION OF GEOMATERIALS

Methodological approach in the conservation of coastal fortifications .................................................... 341

G. Cargangiu, S.Columbu, P. Meloni, M. Carboni, M. Casti, O. Cocco, A. Murru, M. Palomba,

A. Ruggieri

Geomaterials and decay forms of the coastal towers of Piscinni and Foghe, Weastern Sardinia ............. 345

G. Cargangiu, P. Meloni, M. Palomba, O. Cocco, F. Sitzia, A. Murru, M. Carboni, M. Casti,

A. Ruggieri

San Fernando Batteries in Portobelo - Panama: building materials characterization and the

environmental impact evaluation ............................................................................................................. 353

Ch. Ciantelli, A. Bonazza, C. Sabbioni, R.A. Suñé Martínez, C. Vaccaro

The ancient mortars and geomaterials of tower fortification of Nora (Pula, Sardinia, Italy ..................... 357

S. Columbu, G. Cargangiu, F. Sitzia

Petrographic and physical investigations on geomaterials for conservation of Las Plassas Castle

(Marmilla, Sardinia, Italy) ....................................................................................................................... 365

S. Columbu, R. T. Melis, G. F. Murru, G. Serreli, G. Uccheddudu

Alteration processes of geomaterials used on the pentagonal tower of Serravalle Castle (central-

west Sardinia, Italy) ................................................................................................................................. 373

S. Columbu, P. Meloni

The coastal fortification of Cape de Forma (Menorca, Spain): petrophysical characterization and

alteration of stones and ancient mortars ................................................................................................... 381

A. Depalmas, S. Columbu

Diagnostics for the knowledge: the case of the tower of Palazzo Termine Pietragliata in Palermo

(Italy) ....................................................................................................................................................... 389

C. Gattuso, F. Fernández, M. M. Pecoraro, A. Mª Palermo

XIII

Durability of repair mortars used in restoration of a Sardinian coastal tower: assessment after ten

years ......................................................................................................................................................... 397

P. Meloni, G. Cargangiu, M., Palomba, S. Enzo, M. Carboni, O. Cocco, M. Casti, A. Murru,

A. Farci, A. Ruggieri

Multidisciplinary Studies, Crossreading and Transversal Use of Thermography: The Castle of

Monzón (Huesca) as a case study ............................................................................................................ 405

C. Mileto, F. Vegas, J. L. Lerma

257

Defensive Architecture of the Mediterranean. XV to XVIII centuries / Vol II / Rodríguez-Navarro (Ed.)

© 2015 Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4995/FORTMED2015.2015.1770

Artillery barriers built by the Catholic Monarchs in the Granada

coastal fortifications: the Castles of Almuñecar and Salobreña Antonio Orihuela Uzal

a, Antonio Almagro Gorbea

b

School of Arabic Studies, CSIC (Spanish National Research Council). Granada, Spain, aorihuela@eea.csic.es, baalmagro@eea.csic.es

Abstract

In 1489, after the surrender of the coastal towns of Almuñecar and Salobreña during the Granada War

(1482-1492), the Catholic Monarchs immediately set about repairing and improving the military

defences of the castles situated in both towns. Due to the important efficiency displayed by the pyro-

ballistic artillery during that war in order to attack and seize the fortresses and towns of the Nasrid

Kingdom, the old Andalusi walls were unable to withstand the attacks, therefore the monarchs, together

with the captains of their artillery immediately began to adapt the fortifications that had been conquered

to make a stand against the new weapons. Basically this led to the construction of artillery barriers based

on the experience of those fortresses constructed or adapted during the 15th century in Castile.

Particular reference was taken from the important construction of the Castle of la Mota in Medina del

Campo. In this article there will be a study of the features of the artillery barriers built in both fortresses.

Keywords: Artillery barriers, moats, re-adaptation, Catholic Monarchs.

1. Introduction

The two main coastal towns nearest to the

capital of the Nasrid Kingdom, Almuñecar and

Salobreña, both had defence fortresses on the

highest points of the rocky headlands where they

are situated. Both fortifications complied with

the suitable siege warfare concepts used in

medieval times, with stretches of walls and

towers constructed with rammed earth, further

reinforced at a later date with masonry cladding.

In order to strengthen the capacity for defence,

and particularly to adapt the fortresses for the

use and protection against the artillery, in both

castles artillery barriers were raised. Their main

features were the special thickness, low height

and loop holes for the use of pyro-ballistic

weapons.

The proposal was that these barriers should be

protected in part of their height from external

attacks by means of deep excavated moats and

they were reconnoitred by loop holes and

cannon embrasures, situated outside the reach of

the attacking artillery, hence guaranteeing the

ultimate defence of the fortress, even though the

more elevated parts had received hard

punishment from the enemy.

Nevertheless, this theory of fortification was

adapted to the reality of each case, particularly

topographically speaking, giving place to diverse

solutions. While in Almuñecar a barrier was

constructed giving additional volume to the

Andalusi (from al-Andalus times) wall, as well

as the excavation of a deep moat, the hard

quality of the rock forming the base of the castle

in Salobreña made it impossible to carry out a

similar defence system. Therefore they recurred

to the construction of a double barrier like a

defence system in depth, hence offering

adequate protection to the castle.

258

Fig. 1- Ground plan of the northern part of the castle of Almuñecar with its artillery barrier

2. Almuñecar Castle

The town of Almuñecar is situated on a hill

beside the sea in the middle of the plain formed

by the mouth of the Río Verde. On the southern

side of the hill, it narrows with the edges of the

slopes becoming steeper and therefore they were

used for the construction of a fortress,

undoubtedly dating from Punic and Roman

times. The medieval Andalusi castle had

rammed earth walls and solid towers. The

northern side, facing towards the town and

having easier access, had two stretches of wall

which formed a pointed position, with a tower at

the vertex. This wall was reinforced during the

final part of the Nasrid period with a thicker

layer of masonry, which has a particularly

significant thickness, surrounding the central

tower. In fact it became the most outstanding

and powerful element of the fortress. This

northern front also had outer walls that

surrounded the main walls with some remaining

parts that are embedded or attached to the barrier

constructed later on.

In 1489, after the surrender of the town to the

Castilian forces, the Catholic Monarchs.

immediately set about the conditioning and

reinforcement of the fortress, which they

considered an essential element for the defence

of the new frontier of their territories now

established further to the conquest of the Nasrid

Kingdom on the Mediterranean coast. The

experience of the Castilian siege warfare,

updated with what they learnt in the Granada

War (1482-1492), allowed the fortress to be

equipped with the appropriate measures to

confront the new weapons.

Fig. 2- View of the northern front of Almuñecar

Castle in a photo from the first half of the 20th

century (L. Torres Balbás)

259

Therefore the northern front was strengthened

with an artillery barrier, i.e. with a very thick

wall (4,10 m), as it was a more fitting place for

attacking the castle, It had round towers at the

angles and a moat of almost eight metres in

depth, and twenty in width, excavated in the

schistose rock of the hill. The two stretches

forming the barrier follow directions that are

noticeably parallel to those of the previous wall,

marked out by the defence wall to which many

parts of the new wall were attached. They have a

very steep escarpment so the vertical part of the

wall scarcely represents a third of the total

height with respect to the bottom of the moat.

Of the outermost towers, the eastern one has a

circular ground plan and is adjacent to a

previous square one. The western one has a

semicircular ground plan, extended with straight

sides to offer a greater projection over the moat.

The main access to the precincts, that was in this

northern side, was included into a prominent part

formed by two half round towers that flanked the

gateway. It had the shape of a low arch, similar

to that of the bastion of the Arrabal Gateway in

the Alhambra, and similarly we can suppose it

was crowned with the royal coat of arms. During

the Spanish War of Independence (1808-1814)

the demolition of one of the half towers resulted

in almost the whole gateway and its top

disappearing.

In order to cross the moat a bridge was built,

principally of masonry, but with a drawbridge on

the side nearest the gateway. This structure was

designed to serve as a caponier by which the

moat could be reconnoitred better. So the first

opening with a round arch had an elevated

platform with regard to the bottom of the moat,

closed with parapet and battlements and with

openings for weapons. The central pier of the

bridge has a small room inside with loopholes on

both fronts, and it could be accessed by a ladder

from a doorway opened towards the moat in the

direction of the fortress. This could be accessed

descending with a ladder from the main doorway

of the castle. This is a simplified version of the

one previously used in the Castle of la Mota at

Medina del Campo. Each of the stretches of wall

is provided with three openings for weapons

situated slightly above the line where the

escarpment ends and where the vertical wall

begins. They have a small trumpet-shape

outwards and another much larger one inwards

that makes up the firing room.

Fig. 3- Front view of the artillery barrier of the Castle of Almuñecar from a distance (above) and from the

moat (below) (Almagro and Orihuela, 2015)

260

Fig. 4- Bridge-caponier of the Castle of Almuñécar

The walls are topped with a small projection of

ogee arches on corbels that support the parapet,

that alternate between embrasures and loop holes

coinciding with the centre of each battlement.

They have a substantial width, similar to other

contemporary ones such as those drawn by

Francisco de Holanda in the fortress of Salsas.

The round towers at the end of the stretches of

wall as well as the semi-towers protecting the

doorway have small vaulted rooms at a level

below the original ground level, provided with

loopholes to reconnoitre the bottom of the moat.

As they were below the edge of the

counterscarp, they were protected from the shots

of the attackers, unless they were made from that

same edge (Almagro and Orihuela, 2008).

Fig. 5- Cross-section of the barrier and moat of the

Castle of Almuñecar (Almagro and Orihuela,

2015).

As can be seen in the cross-section, the part of

the walls that is elevated with regard to the

terrain, besides being of a great thickness, is

hardly elevated in a distant vision, which means

that it is barely vulnerable to enemy attack.

Following this criterion, the towers are hardly

elevated with regard to the stretches of wall.

There is full continuity in its parapet walks,

which could be crossed along their whole length

without any hindrance or impediment. Basically

the work was carried out in stone masonry, held

in place with excellent lime mortar which was

especially hard and resistant. Brick was used in

specific sectors such as the jambs of the loop

holes and the arches and carved stonework in the

arch of the doorway and in the little arches and

corbels that mark out the starting point of the

parapet.

Fig. 6- Western stretch of the barrier of the Castle

of Almuñecar. The original escarpment which no

longer exists covered the rock that can now be

observed.

261

3. Salobreña Castle

The hill where the Castle is situated has been a

human settlement at least since the Punic

colonization. There are scarce and

decontextualized layers of Punic and Roman

remains, Islamic structures of different periods

and important fortification works carried out

after the surrender of the town to the Catholic

Monarchs in December of 1489. Apart from this,

there were other later interventions during more

than three and a half centuries of military

presence and usage.

Since the 10th century Arab geographers began

to mention Salobreña. Ahmad al-Razi (10th

century) quoted it as a castle, ‘Arib b. Sa‘id (10th

century) recognizes it as a town (madina) due to

the campaign carried out by ‘Abd al-Rahman III

in the Cora de Elvira against the Muladí uprising

in 913 (Castilla, 1992: 126). Al-‘Udri (11th

century) referred to it as the administrative area

(iqlim) of Salubiniya, while Yaqut (13th century)

designated it as a fortification (hisn). Possibly it

may have been considered as a fortification

between the 10th and 12th centuries, although

some historical sources refer to it as a town and

others as a farmstead (alquería). Since the

Nasrid Kingdom was constituted, there is a

greater agreement in regarding it as a town,

Salubiniya, in sources of that time. It had city

walls, a harbour, a mosque and a citadel

(alcazaba) in the highest part, where there was a

Nasrid residence used by members of the

dynasty as a place of rest and also as a royal

prison (Navas and Garcia-Consuegra, 2009).

The transformations undergone by the

fortification both in the period of the Catholic

Monarchs and Charles V, and throughout the

18th century were so extensive that the facings of

the towers and walls that could undoubtedly be

attributed to the al-Andalus period only

represent a minimal part of what exists at

present. The conquest by Castile meant that the

citadel was adapted to new types of military

architecture demanding a widespread use of

artillery. The strengthening of old medieval

structures was no longer sufficient, rather than

that, methods were needed implying the

transition towards Modern Age fortifications.

The first governor was Francisco Ramirez de

Madrid (died in 1501); he was secretary and

field marshal of the artillery between 1482 and

1493. The master commander Ramiro Lopez

(died in 1505), main artilleryman and engineer,

was commissioned with the fortifications of the

Kingdom of Granada after its conquest. He

carried out important work in Granada and the

Alhambra, Almeria, Almuñecar and Salobreña

(Cámara, 2002: 123-137). In the General

Archive of Simancas we can find the record of

the Statement of work necessary in the aforesaid

fortress, dated 17th February, 1490 (Vilar, 2007:

673-676). Although it is difficult to give a

precise interpretation of the content of the

document, we shall proceed to summarize the

main interventions instructed for the

improvement of its defensive nature:

- Make an artillery barrier of 130 paces in length

towards the southeast, where the town was

situated, because this area was the most

vulnerable one. It should have three very strong

round turrets, one in each part and another in the

middle, as it was impossible to excavate a moat

around the barrier due to the hardness of the

rock of this hill.

- Change the Gateway of the fortress to the far

north of the barrier, next to the water tower,

being a safer place and easier to defend.

- Build a new tower of Homage next to the

Gateway, on top of the foundations of the older

existing one. It would be possible for the

governor to control all 3 gates from this tower,

due to its situation at the highest point of the

fortress: the Town gate, the False gate giving

towards the country and the Aid gate giving

towards the sea.

- Construct a cistern with a capacity of 10.000

pitchers of water, on the site indicated by master

Ramiro, being the lowest in the fortress.

- Make a piece of coracha or double wall under

the gateway of the Aid from the sea, 100 paces

long and with a bulwark at the end of the sea

way which approaches 100 paces to the sea, to

aid and defend those who came to assist the

262

Fig. 7- Ground plan of Salobreña Castle with artillery barriers (Orihuela and Almagro, 2015).

fortress by sea. As it was such a long distance it

would [not] be possible to go forward and assist

without doing this, because there are 480 paces

from the doorway to the sea The majority of the

works planned in 1490 were carried out,

although they may have been over different

stages of construction covering several decades.

The most significant one was the construction of

an artillery barrier in front of the Islamic walls

on the south-eastern side with less steep slopes,

with a round turret in the centre.

In the northernmost part of the barrier a new

entrance gateway to the precincts from the town

was built. On the other hand, in the north-east

part of the fortress a coracha or low enclosure

was made to protect their access to the sea, with

an artillery bulwark orientated towards the port

of La Caleta. These precincts also integrated the

water tower that since the al-Andalus period had

protected the access to a well of a waterwheel

which was probably connected via an

underground conduction to the medieval

irrigation canal that reached the town from the

northern area. The work was done with ordinary

masonry or strengthened with edges and courses

of brick in some parts. The vaults of the towers,

rooms and loop holes were also built with

brickwork.

The majority of the work planned by Ramiro

Lopez had not yet been carried out when there

was an earthquake on 26th January, 1494. The

epicentre was in the sea to the southeast of

Malaga, and it resulted in the fall of a tower in

the Salobreña fortress, together with the collapse

of the Tower of Homage (Olivera, 1995:51).

Another important document that gives us

information on the proceedings during that

decade is the payment accounts corresponding to

the building work carried out between August

1496 and December 1498 (Romero, 1995: 117-

141). In these accounts the construction of the

cistern in the southernmost point of the fortress

planned by Ramiro Lopez is detailed. Together

with this there are details of the reconstruction of

the higher part of the Tower of Homage (named

New Tower, Rosal or Rosario Tower in the

263

document) done on top of the lower part from al-

Andalus times.

We have further relevant evidence from the

Marquis of Mondejar, who visited the fortress on

29th September, 1534 (A.G.S.; Cª del Sueldo; 2ª

Serie, Leg. 368, Fol. 442-443) to arrange for the

restoration and necessary supplies. In this visit

he proposed reinforcing with masonry the

section of barrier situated between the round

turret and the “torrejón” of the cistern. In this

way the height could be raised making a parapet

and battlements of that material, and pulling

down the crenellations made out of rammed

earth, in accordance with what had been done in

the northern sector of the barrier.

The customary system of parapet-counterscarp-

moat-escarpment and artillery barrier used in the

fortifications of the transition up to the Modern

Age during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs

(1474-1504-1516) could not be used in

Salobreña. The rock of the promontory where

the castle and the ancient medieval walled town

are situated, is formed by a carbonated series

consisting of calcareous and occasionally

dolomitic marble of great hardness. For this

reason an artillery barrier was created, relatively

separated from the medieval precincts and the

foremost wall was maintained. Subsequently, the

south-eastern part of it was replaced by a second

barrier almost twice as thick as the outer one.

However, the only two frontal embrasures

extend to a very small surface area between the

barriers, and also they are orientated against the

first barrier. This was originally of lime-crusted

rammed earth (tapia calicostrada), but after

1534 it was covered externally and above with

masonry, and the crenellated part was built with

the same structure. The work done in the 18th

century established a bulwark orientated towards

the sea, adapted to the cistern of the end of the

15th century. Later, according to a project by J.

Crame in 1767, the bulwark was modified to

adapt it to fire in all directions, lowering the

height of its parapet.

During the restoration work on the fortress,

commonly known as the castle, carried out

between 1955 and 1975 under the direction of

the architect Francisco Prieto-Moreno, a lot of

debris was removed, but excavations following

archaeological methodology were not

performed. On the contrary, in the intervention

that began in 2014 under the direction of the

authors of this paper, extensive archaeological

excavations were fulfilled, by Dr. Julio Navarro

Palazón (EEA-CSIC), together with Antonio

Reyes Martínez. Thanks to these excavations it

has been possible to open all the embrasures of

the two barriers which had been blocked up and

in some cases half buried. It has been possible to

discover to a partial extent the primitive barrier

of rammed earth from the south-east sector; this

had been enlarged with masonry after 1534.

Fig. 8- Cross-section of the artillery barriers of Salobreña castle (Orihuela and Almagro, 2015).

264

However, the greatest contribution regarding the

defensive system has been the appearance of the

lower part of the foremost Andalusi wall, which

was amortized when the second powerful barrier

was built, to protect the entrance into the interior

enclosure of the ancient Nasrid fortress.

When the small houses built up against the outer

side of the barrier in the last century can be

pulled down, this will recover its former

spectacular appearance.

4. Conclusions

In the two fortified coastal towns nearest to the

ancient Nasrid capital, the Catholic Monarchs

decreed the construction of artillery barriers

orientated towards the urban area, where their

citadels were most vulnerable. In Almuñecar the

schistose rock allowed a deep moat to be

excavated, following a traditional layout already

experienced, with an original bridge-caponier

protecting the crossing. However, in Salobreña

the intensely hard marble rock prevented an

artificial moat from being made, so an artillery

barrier was built with a gateway with bends

inside a strong tower situated at the opposite end

to the entrance into the Nasrid precincts.

Therefore the attackers would have to cross the

whole area of conflict lengthwise, finding the

second part of the route protected by another

powerful barrier that replaced the medieval

foremost wall.

Fig. 9. View of the first barrier and the round Turret

in the background, from the Bulwark of the Cistern,

with the small houses attached to the outer part.

Referencias

Almagro, A. y A. Orihuela, (2008), . “Investigación histórica sobre el Castillo de San Miguel de

Almuñécar (Granada)”, Actas del 4º Congreso Internacional sobre Fortificaciones: Las

Fortificaciones y el mar, Ayuntamiento de Alcalá de Guadaíra, Sevilla, pp. 109-118.

Cámara, A. (2002), “Las fortificaciones del emperador Carlos V” en Carlos V. Las armas y las letras,

Granada.

Castilla Brazales, J. (1992), La crónica de ‘Arib sobre al-Andalus, Granada.

García-Consuegra Flores, J. Mª. (2007), a: “El castillo de Salobreña en época medieval”, Memoria del

Diploma de Estudios Avanzados (D.E.A.), dentro del Programa de Doctorado “Arqueología y

Territorio” de la Universidad de Granada, Inédito.

García-Consuegra Flores, J. Mª. (2007), b: “El castillo de Salobreña (Granada) en época medieval”, en

Arqueología y Territorio. Revista Electrónica del programa de Doctorado, ISBN 1698-5664, nº 4,

pp. 203-216.

Navas Rodríguez, J. y J. Mª. García-Consuegra Flores, (2009), “La formación de una incipiente

madina nazarí: la Salawbinya de los ss. XIV-XV” en Arqueología y Territorio. Revista Electrónica

del programa de Doctorado, ISBN 1698-5664, nº 6, pp. 225-237.

Olivera Serrano, C. (1995), “Geografía y poblamiento”, pp. 51, en Sismicidad histórica del Reino de

Granada (1487-1531), Monografía nº 12, Instituto Geográfico Nacional, Madrid, pp. 37-267.

Romero Martínez, A. (1995), “Construcción y reconstrucción de la fortaleza de Salobreña. Las cuentas

de 1496-1498” en Cuadernos de Estudios Medievales y Ciencias y Técnicas Historiográficas, 20,

pp. 117-141.

Vilar Sánchez, J. A. (2007), Los Reyes Católicos en la Alhambra, Granada, Apéndice documental, pp.

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