Castle of Matrera


Castle of Matrera is a medieval castle at Villamartín in Spain dating back to the 9th century. It was declared a national monument in 1949 and an example of Bien de Interés Cultural in 1985. The structure underwent a controversial restoration in 2015.

History

It was built in the 9th century by Omar ibn Hafsún to defend Iptuci, the most advanced city of the Cora de Ronda. However, Mount Pajarete was a place of human settlement since Antiquity.
In the 13th century, it was conquered by San Fernando, who rebuilt it. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the XIV century, it returned to Muslim hands, being definitively reconquered by Alfonso XI in 1341. However, being located in the middle of the Moorish Border or Band was besieged by the Muslims of Granada in 1408 and in 1445.

Renovation

By 2010, only a few walls of the castle remained standing, and the ruins were further damaged by rain in 2013. A restoration project was launched in 2010, led by the architect Carlos Quevado, and completed in 2015. Parts of the tower were rebuilt with lime plaster similar to samples found on the site, with large, plain blocks defining the original shape of the castle. Quevado described his aim as being not only to protect the ruin, but to "recover the volume, texture, and tonality that the tower would originally have had", and to differentiate new additions from the original structure.
The renovation received negative reactions from some locals, with Spain's cultural heritage organization Hispania nostra calling the project "absolutely terrible". It was praised by the architectural community, and was nominated for the 2016 Architizer A+ Award, in the Architecture Preservation category, winning the public choice vote. The Guardian described the design as neo-brutalist, and praised it for restoring "the clout its Moorish creators originally intended".

Conservation

In 2013, a large part of the tower collapsed due to the scarce work of repairing the structural problems detected decades ago.
The subsequent work of preservation in 2016 with the authorization of the Junta de Andalucía was very controversial, receiving both criticism and a nomination to the New York A + Architizer awards, which ultimately ended up winning in the "Preservation" category.