Networked heritage management in the Lower Guadalquivir (Spain)

Abstract

This paper describes the operations carried out to generate a georeferenced heritage inventory at a supra-municipal scale. The tool establishes links between its heritage elements based on the features and characteristics of the territory. The work has been carried out on the fluvial zone of the Lower Guadalquivir, an area of approximately 8500 km2 located in Andalusia in the south of Spain. The method used is based on the digital inventory of the Andalusian immovable historical heritage generated by the Andalusian Institute of Historical Heritage, in which more than 500 heritage assets in the study area are indexed. The work begins with the expansion and processing of these assets with the aim of reorganizing them and establishing new parameters in their classification schemes. Subsequently, a spatial analysis developed in a GIS environment detects relationships between heritage assets determined by the physical characteristics of the territory. These relationships are contrasted by historical research, and eight heritage networks in the territory are defined as a result. Finally, one of the networks is used to show how, from the graph theory, it is possible to investigate the detected links. Ultimately, it is discussed how this study allows us to move toward new models of the heritage management of territorial dimension and relational vocation.