{"id":194,"date":"2025-06-09T11:32:19","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T11:32:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eccofort.eu\/?p=194"},"modified":"2025-06-09T11:32:20","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T11:32:20","slug":"diverse-and-rich-fortified-cultural-heritage-of-the-iberian-peninsula-basis-for-culture-tourism-with-the-european-culture-route-fortified-monuments-forte-cultura","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eccofort.eu\/en\/sachartikel\/diverse-and-rich-fortified-cultural-heritage-of-the-iberian-peninsula-basis-for-culture-tourism-with-the-european-culture-route-fortified-monuments-forte-cultura\/","title":{"rendered":"Diverse and rich fortified cultural heritage of the Iberian Peninsula. Basis for culture tourism with the European Culture Route Fortified Monuments FORTE CULTURA\u00ae"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hans-Rudolf Neumann, Dirk R\u00f6der, Hartmut R\u00f6der<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abstract<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fortresses are architectural pearls, cultural sites, event locations, experience places and memorials, mostly situated at breath-taking places on mountains, rivers or in the under-ground. Fortresses are monuments of common European history, they mirror the past into the present, connect cultures and offer deep insights into the historical conflicts. Fortified monuments are part of what makes Europe unique and attractive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This cultural heritage has to be preserved and made accessible for the culture tourism at the same time. The Iberian fortified heritage has great potential for new culture touristic topics and travel routes away from mass tourism. Therefore, cultural routes are a useful instrument. The European Culture Route Fortified Monuments -FORTE CULTURA\u00ae- is the European umbrella brand for fortress tourism. It offers useful instruments for international marketing of fortified monuments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The implementation of the attractive \u201carchitectura militaris\u201d of the Iberian Peninsula into the culture route FORTE CULTURA\u00ae makes it possible to network this culture asset touristically, make it visible and experienceable on international tourism markets and market it Europe-wide. By implementing a new touristic regional brand \u201cFORTE CULTURA - Iberian Fortified Heritage\u201d the qualified culture tourism will be addressed. This supports a balance between over and under presented monuments and extends the sphere of activity of local actors onto whole Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. introduction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More than 150 fortresses dating from the late 15th to the 19th century still exist on the Iberian Peninsula. There are also medieval fortresses, Castello's, lines of defence such as the tower lines on Spain's southern coast, and countless fortifications of the twentieth century. Only the southern tip of Spain was fortified between 1940 and 1944 with 498 bunkers, machine gun nests and artillery positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This unique fortified heritage holds great potential for sustainable cultural tourism, which has so far not been fully exploited. Between world-famous fortresses such as the Alhambra in Granada with 2.7 million visitors per year, well-known fortresses in Barcelona, Alicante, Jerez, Lisbon or Torres Vedras and almost unknown fortresses such as Elvas (UNESCO), Badajoz, Tabarca or Roses is a very high perception difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The creation of entire and networked offers for fortress tourism on the Iberian Peninsula is supposed to act against this descent and at the same time create a compensation and decentralisation of excessive tourism flow on the hotspots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often, diverse and individual culture programmes are already offered for a large target group at fortress locations. The common and joint marketing as part of an international brand for fortress tourism increases the individual reach and creates increasing publicity of the participating fortresses, image improvements and economic effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, the authors developed the European Culture Route Fortified Monuments FORTE CULTURA\u00ae and found the European Fortress Tourism and Fortress Marketing Network. The creation of territorial or themed fortress clusters as marketing partners is an important principle to define and underline regional and local identification characteristics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2 Fortified heritage on the Iberian Peninsula - Basis for Culture Tourism<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Iberian Peninsula has great potential for the implementation of culture touristic offers of Iberian fortresses into international tourism markets with FORTE CULTURA\u00ae.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The \u201carchitectura militaris\u201d of the Iberian Peninsula is shaped by the influence of important historical epochs and their ruler, traditions, technical knowledge and skills. From the city walls of Phoenicians to the bunkers of the Cold War, the fortification architecture has steadily developed and adjusted to the progress of weapon technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2.1 Mapping of Iberian fortification heritage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get important insights into the localisation and the diverse fortress types, ECCOFORT developed a map of the Iberian fortification heritage. For the first time the whole historical spectrum of fortified monuments over the important epochs until the Cold War is collected. This is not finished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Iberian fortified heritage concentrates along the coasts, in the Spanish-Portuguese border area and along the Pyrenees for protection against the European Great Powers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Especially the following epochs of fortification architecture are strongly represented on the Iberian Peninsula:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Middle Ages<\/p>\n\n\n