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

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.