Content area
The present article aims to provide a complete overview of the concepts, regulations, and criteria developed in Europe, in addition to an analysis of their consequences in the Alhambra Palatine City from its Christian period (1492) until the arrival of Leopoldo Torres Balbás (1923). Considering that the first step towards a complete understanding and evaluation of a cultural heritage site is the recognition of the general context before its particularities, this study presents a dual focus, systematically following the chronological progression of the events. Through an exhaustive historical analysis based on the most relevant bibliographical and documentary sources in the discipline of Conservation-Restoration of Historic Buildings, this article begins with an overview of the development of conservation and restoration practises in Italy, France, and England, and subsequently analyses the Spanish and Alhambra-specific contexts. In addition to bringing together in a single document the evolution of the criteria applied to the conservation of monuments and buildings, this study has provided an opportunity to reaffirm their perennial importance in the discipline of heritage conservation. Furthermore, it has provided an opportunity to explore how the Palatine City reflects evolving philosophical paradigms, methodological practises, and their application to one of Spain’s most important architectural complexes, further emphasising the Alhambra’s unique position as a case study and a framework for advancing the scientific discourse on heritage preservation.
