Monastic heritage protection through the urban planning use as a tool of tutelage and conservation. Écija as a monastic city in Andalusia

 MONASTIC HERITAGE PROTECTION THROUGH THE URBAN PLANNING USE AS A TOOL OF TUTELAGE AND CONSERVATION. ÉCIJA AS A MONASTIC CITY IN ANDALUSIA. F. Javier Ostos Prieto https://orcid.org/0000‑0002‑9551‑3946 José Manuel Aladro Prieto https://orcid.org/0000‑0003‑0822‑1644 María Teresa Pérez Cano https://orcid.org/0000‑0002‑4470‑0872 Abstract: Located in Andalusia, Écija is known for its wide and rich monastic architectural heritage. It was one of the cities with the largest number of monasteries and convents belonging to the Kingdom of Seville in the 16th century. The convents were the 11% of the urban scene. Due to its position on the border with the Kingdom of Granada, the convents generated transformations in the city, especially between the 16th and 18th centuries. Nowadays this situation is undeniable, occupying full urban blocks and making the characteristic urban landscape of Écija. When the city was declared Historical Complex in 1966, the monastic urban structure required specific protection measures through the urban planning and protection plans. At present, the catalogues are the most common resources used as a way of materialising this protection in urban planning, added to the protection figures of the Andalusian heritage law. Both instruments are not effective, as they do not guarantee a correct conservation, do not provide measures for their reuse, and do not integrate the decisive urban role of the conventual structures. The understanding and protection of the Ecijan convent heritage requires that the urban condition of the convents must be addressed from the urban planning. Keywords: Monastic heritage, Écija, Urban planning.  MONASTIC HERITAGE PROTECTION THROUGH THE URBAN PLANNING USE AS A TOOL OF TUTELAGE AND CONSERVATION. ÉCIJA AS A MONASTIC CITY IN ANDALUSIA F. Javier Ostos Prieto* José Manuel Aladro Prieto** María Teresa Pérez Cano*** 1. Introduction: The city of Écija The first conventual settlements began to appear in Andalusia, after the first conquests by Fernando III in the 13th century along the Guadalquivir valley. The kings of Castile used the monastic foundations as the backbone of the occupation process in the ancient Muslim territories1. From 13th until the 17th century, it was a deep conventual development focused on the medium‑sized cities, where Écija stands out for being one of the greatest cities underlining the importance of its monastic buildings. Écija is situated in the south of the Iberian Peninsula, in a central position in Andalusia. Currently, the Astigitan city2 belongs to the province of Seville, reaching a population of 39,882 inhabitants by 20183. Although today it is a not well known city, during the late Middle Ages and its development in the Modern Age, the city was an attractive focus for many travellers from all over the European continent. A sample of the reputation, which was acquired in the history by the Ecijans, is observed in the diverse iconography, texts, etc. The mainly iconography were carried out between 16th and 19th centuries. Nowadays the ancient draws have been changed by the use of the photography. The first graphic representation * Department of Urbanism and Regional Planning Higher Technical School of Architecture, University of Seville, Spain. fos[email protected] ** Department of Architectural History, Theory and Composition, Higher Technical School of Architecture, University of Seville, Spain. aladrop[email protected] *** Department of Urbanism and Regional Planning, Higher Technical School of Architecture, University of Seville, Spain. t[email protected] 1 MIURA ANDRADES, José María – Fundaciones religiosas y milagros en la Écija de fines de la Edad Media. Écija: Gráficas Sol, 1992, p.16. 2 DILS DE LA VEGA, Sergio García – Colonia Augusta Firma Astigi: el urbanismo de la Écija romana y tardoantigua. Sevilla: Editorial Universidad de Sevilla, 2015. 3 Andalucía pueblo a pueblo – Fichas Municipales: Écija. Available at: https://www.juntadeandalucia.es/ institutodeestadisticaycartografia/sima/ficha.htm?mun=41039. Accessed on 28/03/2019. ARCHITECTURES OF THE SOUL: MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO THE EXPERIENCES …  (Figure 1) was made by Joris Hoefnagel in 15674. This Flemish artist drew Écija cause his journey through Europe. He was in a search of the most important cities at that time. He could see in the city its excellent geographical location in the Genil river valley and its outstanding ecclesiastical heritage. These elements created a particular urban landscape made up of towers and belfries. As a convent city, Écija became one of the main monastic centres. It highlighted between cities of raised importance and monastic presence such as Seville or Cordoba. Furthermore, it should be added the words of López Martínez, where «the first foundations would take place in the big cities, […] Seville, Jerez, Écija and Alcalá de Guadaira were the towns where the first convents were founded in the 13th century»5. After the city of Seville, Écija appeared in a second place situated on the border of the Sevillian territory. First it was located on the border with the Muslim Kingdom of Granada, but later with the Christian Kingdom of Cordoba. The city was an urban centre standing out for its number of convents. They were the 11% of the Ecijan urban scene. The city became an important centre of the Christian religion spreading, due to its strategic position in the physical and political map in the centre of the current Andalusia. 2. The Conquer of Al-Ándalus through conventual foundations It is not possible to understand Écija without a previous socio‑political context, before the appearance of monasteries and convents in the city. After the conquest 4 FRANZ HOGENBERG – Theatrum in quo visuntur Illustriores Hispaniae Urbes, Aliaeque Ad Orientem & Austrum Civitates celebriores. Amsterdam: Officina Joannis Janssonii, 1657 5 LÓPEZ MARTÍNEZ, Antonio Luís – La economía de las órdenes religiosas en el antiguo régimen: sus propiedades y rentas en el Reino de Sevilla. Sevilla: Diputación Provincial de Sevilla, 1992, p.35‑36. Fig. 1. View from Écija drawn by Joris Hoefnagel in 1567. From the book Theatrum in quo visuntur Illustriores Hispaniae Urbes, located in the National Library of Spain MONASTIC HERITAGE PROTECTION THROUGH THE URBAN PLANNING USE AS A TOOL OF TUTELAGE AND CONSERVATION  of the Iberian Peninsula by the Muslims in 711, the new occupied territory was renamed Al‑Andalus6. The Muslim presence in the peninsula lasted more than 700 years. Because of monasticism was linked to the Christian religion, the presence of the Islam avoided its development in the cities (Figure 2). The conquest of the Muslim territories by the Christian kingdoms was not a one‑time fact. It was a conquest based on stages, as a result of many wars, treaties and conflicts through centuries. Linked to the expansion of the northern Christian kingdoms, the monastic foundations appeared little by little towards the south of the Iberian Peninsula. In the battle of Navas de Tolosa, in 1212, fought the kings of Castile, Aragon and Navarre against the Almohad caliph Muhammad an‑Nasir, which was defeated. After this fight, it began the conquest of the inner Bética. In this process of conquest, Écija became Christian in 12407. The Guadalquivir valley quickly was under the control of the king Fernando III. It ended with the siege of Seville in 1248. Although the Christians occupied a large part of the current Andalusia, the Kingdom of Granada was the last place of Muslim presence until 1492. On 2January 1492, the Catholic Kings went into the city of Granada and finished the almost eight centuries of Islamic rule in the Iberian Peninsula8. During this war, the Christian armies were not only composed with soldiers. They were joined all time by friars and priests, which belonged to religious 6 FERNÁNDEZ Y GONZÁLEZ, Francisco – Historias de Al‑Ándalus: por Aben‑Adhari de Marruecos. Granada: Ventura y Sabatel, 1860. 7 FERNÁNDEZ GRAJERA, Alonso – Historia de la ciudad de Écija. Sevilla: Fundación el Monte, 1995. 8 COFFIN, Judith G.; STACEY, Robert C. – Western Civilizations: their history & their culture. New York: W .W. Norton & Company, 2012, p.219‑223. Fig. 2. Evolution of the Iberian Peninsula through Middle Ages. Left: 8th century; Right: 14th century. The city of Écija is marked with a red point in the South. Own elaboration. Data from Gran Atlas Histórico Planeta, Planeta, Barcelona, 2004 ARCHITECTURES OF THE SOUL: MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO THE EXPERIENCES …  communities. These orders came mainly from other European Christian kingdoms. In addition, thanks to their help they received the «accommodation for those that collaborated in the war and religious orders that had accompanied the Fernandine hosts in the conquest of the city»9. Therefore, it started in Seville the foundation process, over the occupied territories by the Muslims, of the ancient Al‑Andalus. As a result of the religious conflicts, the high conventual production in the Andalusian region was between the 13th and 17th centuries. Although Seville had the largest number of monasteries and convents, Écija was behind the capital city. While Seville had 29 in the 15th century10, there were 7 in Écija. Its importance is not only caused by the number of monastic buildings in relation to the city, but also due to the ratio of population and number of convents (Figure 3). As it can be seen in the table, the resulting data in Écija is quite high, when is compared the number of convents with the number of inhabitants11. The percentage is quite similar between the two cities, despite the fact that Seville doubles the population and quadruples the monasteries and convents with Écija. 15th century Convents (co) Inhabitants (in) [12] Ratio co/in *1000 Seville 29 [10] 40.000 0,725 Écija 7 [11] 15.000 0,466 Fig. 3. Table which represents the relationship between the number of convents [10] [11] and inhabitants [12] in Seville and Écija in the 15th century. Own elaboration. Data from sources referenced in the own table In the 18th century, the city of Écija housed a total number of 21 conventual buildings12. Likewise, they were organized into religious communities, which were subdivided into masculine and feminine gender. Among the male orders there were 13 monastic spaces, while there were 8 for the nun orders. The phenomenon of the conventual urban implantation was similar to other cities. At the early years, this kind of building were found inside the walled enclosure of the town. The 9 PÉREZ CANO, María Teresa – Patrimonio y ciudad: el sistema de los conventos de clausura en el centro histórico de Sevilla: génesis, diagnóstico y propuesta de intervención para su recuperación urbanística. Sevilla: Universidad de Sevilla, 1993, p.64‑66 (Thesis Doctoral in Urban and Management of the Territory). 10 MOSQUERA ADELL, Eduardo; PÉREZ CANO, María Teresa – Arquitectura en los Conventos de Sevilla: una aproximación patrimonial a las clausuras. Sevilla: Consejería de Cultura de la Junta de Andalucía, 1991. 11 LADERO QUESADA, Miguel Ángel – Las ciudades de Andalucía occidental en la Baja Edad Media: sociedad, morfología y funciones urbanas. En la España Medieval. 10 (1987) 69‑108. Dossiê «La Ciudad Hispánica siglos XIII al XVI». 12 DE ROA, Martín – Écija, sus Santos y su antigüedad eclesiástica y seglar. Sevilla: Extramuros, 2009, p.140‑147; CALDERO BERMUDO, José Enrique – Guía de los conventos ecijanos. Écija: Asociación de amigos de Écija, 1984; HERNÁNDEZ DÍAZ, José; SANCHO CORBACHO, Antonio; COLLANTES DE TERÁN, Fernando – Catálogo arqueológico y artístico de la Provincia de Sevilla. Vol. 3. Sevilla: Servicio de Defensa el Patrimonio Nacional, 1951. MONASTIC HERITAGE PROTECTION THROUGH THE URBAN PLANNING USE AS A TOOL OF TUTELAGE AND CONSERVATION  monastic pieces that appeared outside the Ecijan walls were located in relation to 4 roads, which are in the same position of the four cardinal points: north, south, east and west. The orders mainly looked for the most important entrances and they fled from the closeness to the river or the streams. The continuous floods were a serious problem for monasteries and the other surrounding buildings. Among many Ecijan monastic buildings, it stands out the church belonging to the first convent, called San Pablo y Santo Domingo, which was founded by the Dominican order13. «The Dominican presence responds to the new expectations that have appeared in the bosom of the Church. We need orators, preachers who proclaim the word of God in every corner of Christianity»14. Despite the fact that the temple has persisted in the time, the situation of the tower has worsened over the years. The tower project was never completed and now suffers a high deterioration. For more than 20 years, the choice of an auxiliary structure has become almost definitive. Its current state reflect the inaction to aim for an appropriate alternative. Specifically, the building not only stands out for being the first monastic temple in the city. Also the importance of the temple come of 13 AGUILAR DÍAZ, Juan Jesús – El convento de San Pablo y Santo Domingo de Écija: siglos XIV‑XX: estudio histórico‑artístico. Écija: Ayuntamiento de Écija, 2006, p.25‑35. 14 GARCÍA TORRALBO, María Cruz – Baeza Conventual, el espacio conventual en el contexto urbano de Baeza en los siglos XVI‑XVII. Ubeda : Gráficas Minerva, 1998, p.32. Fig. 4. Convent of San Pablo y Santo Domingo of Écija. Left: tower of the church; Right: the Virgen del Rosario chapel. Photographs taken by F. Javier Ostos Prieto in 2018 ARCHITECTURES OF THE SOUL: MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO THE EXPERIENCES …  holding its own Baroque style, called Ecijan Baroque. It is well shown to a large extent in the Virgen del Rosario chapel, built in 1761 (Figure 4)15. Inserted in the city of Écija, the conventual spaces have a huge degree of importance and significance for the urban level. The monastic structure is analysed and studied in depth, causing the possibility to acquire a fairly high level of understanding. This allow us to research the aspects related to the protection of these buildings. The lack of an appropriate recognition means that this architectural group should be considered in a special way. These elements form part of our heritage not only individually but as an urban whole. Therefore, the protection and tutelage through tools such as historical heritage laws or urban planning are essential. 3. Protection of ecclesiastical heritage For a study of the current heritage state related to its protection and tutelage, it is necessary going through different scales under the current laws. In first place, it appears from a general area the Spanish Historical Heritage Law16 followed by the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, with theHistorical Heritage Law of Andalusia17. Secondly, it finds the urban planning named General Urban Development Plan (PGOU)18 together with the special protection urban plan, called Special Plan for the Protection, Interior Reform and Catalogue of the Historic City (PEPRICCCHA)19. Finally, they provide the necessary tools for safeguard the Ecijan heritage. The presence of these instruments does not mean that are produced the appropriate measures or applications. Currently, the most common way to materialize the protection in urban planning is through the catalogue cards, which often add the regional and state protection. These elements are not effective because they do not guarantee an accuracy conservation, measures for reusing, or a suitable integration for the urban role played by conventual structures. 15 GONZÁLEZ GÓMEZ, Juan Miguel; AGUILAR DÍAZ, Jesús, ed. – Écija Barroca. Écija: Ayuntamiento de Écija, 2011. 16 JEFATURA DEL ESTADO – Ley 16/1985, de 25 de junio, del Patrimonio Histórico Español. Boletín Oficial del Estado. 155 (29 of June 1985) 20342‑20352. 17 JUNTA DE ANDALUCÍA – Ley 14/2007, de 26 de noviembre, del Patrimonio Histórico de Andalucía. Boletín Oficial de la Junta de Andalucía. 248 (19 of December 2007) 6‑28; COMUNIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE ANDALUCÍA – Ley 14/2007, de 26 de noviembre, del Patrimonio Histórico de Andalucía. Boletín Oficial del Estado. 38 (13 of February 2008) 7785‑7809. 18 AYUNTAMIENTO DE ÉCIJA. CONSEJERÍA DE VIVIENDA Y ORDEN ACIÓN DEL TERRITORIO. OFICINA MUNICIPAL DEL PLAN GENERAL DE ORDENACIÓN URBANÍSTICA – Plan General de Ordenación Urbana (PGOU) de la ciudad de Écija de 2010. Écija: Ayuntamiento de Écija y Consejería de vivienda y ordenación del territorio de la Junta de Andalucía, 2010. 19 BEVIÁ GONZÁLEZ, Fernando J.; SANJUÁN MARTÍNEZ, Desiderio – Plan Especial de Protección, Reforma Interior y Catálogo del Conjunto Histórico Artístico (PEPRICCHA): Écija (Sevilla). Écija: Ayuntamiento de Écija y Consejería de Cultura de la Junta de Andalucía, 2014 MONASTIC HERITAGE PROTECTION THROUGH THE URBAN PLANNING USE AS A TOOL OF TUTELAGE AND CONSERVATION  4. Cultural Interest Assets Due to its current situation, it is necessary the protection of the monastic heritage. The laws, which belongs to the Spanish State and the Andalusian Community, offer the appropriate guidelines for its conservation, whose norms must be used to preserve our heritage. According to the Spanish Historical Heritage Law, the highest Spanish protection is the Bien de Interés Cultural (BIC)20, translated as Cultural Interest Asset. In chronological order, the table (Figure 5) shows the different elements declared BIC of the city, as well as its declaration year. There are 12 elements declared throughout the 20th century and 4 at the beginning of the 21st century21. It is striking the high considerations and concern for heritage until 2009. Since then, no more buildings have been declared like BIC for the last 10 years. According to the graph, the elements in the table are shown in a numerical way. They show their quantity with percentages that allow a quick visualization of the data. It is important to point out that the conventual heritage is next to the palatine equalled in number, both with a 17%. With 34%, defensive architecture stands out against other architecture, although is not chance. In 194922 the Spanish government approved the whole protection of all the walled elements, castles, fortresses… and all the defensive architecture in a national scale. This is the main reason why it appears a large number of walls or fortifications in the BIC list. 20 JEFATURA DEL ESTADO – Ley 16/1985, p.20344, art. 14, point 2. 21 COMUNIDAD AUTÓNOMA DE ANDALUCÍA – Ley 14/2007, p.7787, art. 6. 22 MINISTERIO DE EDUCACIÓN NACIONAL – Decreto de 22 de abril de 1949 sobre protección de los castillos españoles. Boletín Oficial del Estado. 125 (5 of May 1949) 2058‑2059. Fig. 5. Table of declared BIC in Écija. Right: graphic with the percentage and architecture about the different protected buildings. Own elaboration ARCHITECTURES OF THE SOUL: MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO THE EXPERIENCES …  As can be seen in the table, there are three conventual spaces declared BIC opposed to five with A protection. There are another five more with letter B. Leaving in C letter there are only three and part of the old conventual structures related to the monastery of Santa Ana. This peculiar case consider the temple in a A type protection while its dependencies are in a smaller one, C type. Based on the table, the graph shows the percentages related to the number of protections according to their letter. If those elements that have disappeared are not considered, the balance between BIC and A protection against B and C protection, grouped respectively, are 50% (Figure 9). Although the protection levels are high, the half of the monastic spaces have a really low degree in relation to their architecture and importance. An example of this fact is the first convent building in the city. It is the monastery of San Pablo and Santo Domingo which only has a B protection. This implies the need for a revision of the feature established for each of the current buildings. In addition to the protection figures, the use of cataloguing cards as a tool for urban planning has been mentioned. Within the catalogue of protected buildings, Fig. 8. Convent plans from Écija, which represents the protection level according to the urban planning in 2018. Own elaboration. Data from the special protection plan – PEPRICCHA MONASTIC HERITAGE PROTECTION THROUGH THE URBAN PLANNING USE AS A TOOL OF TUTELAGE AND CONSERVATION  these cards are divided into several sections. On the one hand, it is usually found: a brief numerical description, a plan of the location of the building, photos, perhaps planimetry and a brief historical review. On the other hand, they are standard models whose function do not guarantee a correct valuation of the building, as well as a real protection. Only current architectural or artistic values are taken into account. Another heritage values are being forgotten and they could elevate the conventual heritage above many aspects. In this case, only the current building is taken into consideration, without thinking about the historical plot of the convent or other buildings that may have ancient remains. A photographic or planimetric collection is included as part of the complete document, although this is quite lacking. The photographs taken do not include the complexity and totality of the building. The planimetry is produced from other documentation without making any reference to its source or environment. In addition, it is found a description made basically in historical terms with some contributions on the construction phases throughout the development of the building. Definitely, an instrument that has nothing to do with the current state of the convents, which is focuses so much on historiographic aspects instead of defining or highlighting a heritage evaluation.During the ecclesiastical disentitlements carried out in Spain, a large part of the religious buildings were affected. Most of them disappeared forever or in such as cases they lost their conventual dependencies, holding only the church33. This last situation is quite normal, when the temple preserve its religious 33 LAZO DÍAZ, Alfonso – La desamortización de las tierras de la Iglesia en la provincia de Sevilla (1835‑ 1845). Sevilla: Diputación Provincial de Sevilla/ Instituto de Estudios Sevillanos, 1970. Fig. 9. Table of the Ecijan convents and monasteries with their level protection according to the urban planning in 2018. Right: graphic with the percentage and architecture about the different protected buildings. Own elaboration. Data from the special protection plan – PEPRICCHA ARCHITECTURES OF THE SOUL: MULTIDISCIPLINARY APPROACHES TO THE EXPERIENCES …  use. In this way, the ancient conventual properties, which belong to cloisters, courtyards…, suffered transformations into residential building. However, there are some exceptions in many cases, where the use has changed into educational or commercial purposes. Sadly, the majority of the old monasteries and convents have been occupied by new dwellings or they are in a current state of abandonment. In spite of this situation of changes, Écija has got to maintain the religious use in the main conventual churches, avoiding a total disappearance. 7. Conclusions It is impossible to make references to Écija without knowing and understanding its high heritage relevance in the conventual field. With a large number of 21 convents and monasteries, the city stands out in the ancient and current Andalucía. Related to a specific protection of its heritage, it is necessary looking out about the tools of protection, tutelage and safeguard. It is important to point out the existence of two laws, one national and the other autonomous, which are complemented between each other. Both reflect the protection of Cultural Interest Asset (BIC), as the maximum Spanish level of protection that guarantees the conservation of the BIC buildings. In Écija, there are three convents under this high protection although its correct defence is not carried out. Among these buildings only one has been rehabilitated and has taken into a great consideration leaving the other two in a present state of abandonment and progressive deterioration. The declaration of Écija as a Historic Complex was positive for the development of the Special Plan for the Protection of the Historic Complex. Joined with the General City Plan, they made up a fairly efficient legislative system. It has been established multiple categories in levels of protection, from letters A to G. Although a large part of the monastic heritage is not taken care with a suitable esteem. The catalogue files try to reflect a taking data of all the different buildings but, again, unsatisfactorily. Most cases only show historical or numerical guidelines that are not taken into account. Often they leave the real heritage values in a second or almost zero place. Finally, the study carried out on the application of urban planning in the city shows results that do not guarantee a correct safeguarding of the monastic heritage in Écija. The taken data are key to think that the legislation fails. Although it is quite good in content, it is not good in application since it requires public administrations and governments to act. If there could be a perfect law on heritage, it would not be necessary such as protection as now. The Ecijans and the institutions must become aware of the valuation of the convent buildings. The value given to them does not come from something imposed or inherent in a building. It is given by the people and those who turn it into heritage. Aconventual heritage, builder and symbol of the city of Écija.