The relation between the Alhambra and the city, in the spotlight during the fourth day of the course “The Alhambra and the World Heritage”

The city-quarter Albaicín, which was declared UNESCO Site of World Heritage in 1994, was the central subject of the lectures during the fourth day of the course La Alhambra y el Patrimonio Mundial. Identidad y universalidad en el 25 aniversario de su declaración como Patrimonio Mundial (“The Alhambra and the World Heritage: Identity and universality in the 25 anniversary of its declaration as a World Heritage Site”), organized by the Patronato de la Alhambra y el Generalife and the Centro Mediterráneo of the University of Granada. Participating experts are Miguel Valle, Director of the Fundación Albaicín, and the architects Gabriel Fernández Adarve and Santiago Rodríguez Gimeno.
The Director of Fundación Albaicin – on the basis of models like the Alhambra and the Generalife – made an evaluation of the situation of this unique quarter of Granada, which since 2000 is constituted as a Trust. Valle highlighted the fact that the quarter´s needs are higher than the available funds for its preservation. Also he stressed as a positive aspect that “every day there are more and more families who want to live in Albaicín, unlike the 60s and the 70s, when the trend was moving to new-built quarters”.
Furthermore, Gabriel Fernández, the Technical Manager of Área de Rehabilitación del Albaicín (ARC), has shown different examples of interventions carried out in the quarter, which leaded to excellent results, due to the good communication between the public administration bodies, owners and tenants.
Finally, Santiago Rodríguez, architect who created the Plan Especial del Albaicín y el Sacromonte (PEPRI), compared different plans carried out before in the quarter, up to the last one in 2008, in which he stressed three core themes: approach in detail to urban planning, identification of heritage and strategic planning.
Tomorrow will be analyzed the relation between the Alhambra and Granada city, the key factors of an eventual amplification of the declaration as World Heritage to the city full of history. The following experts will participate in this closing session: José Castillo Ruiz, Professor of History of Art at the University of Granada; David Aguilar, President of Consocio para la Conmemoración del Primer Milenio de la Fundación del Reino de Granada; Juan García Montero, Councillor of Culture on Granada Council; Pedro Benzal, Andalusian Delegate of Culture of the Junta de Andalucía; Jorge López, Director of the Department of Culture, Youth and Local Cooperation of the County Council of Granada; Miguel Carrascosa, President of the Andalusian UNESCO Office; and Miguel Gómez Oliver, Vice-Rector of Extensión Universitaria of the University of Granada.