In TESELA we participated during 2019 in the restoration of the Bañuelo, carrying out the previous characterization of the original construction materials. As many of you know, the Bañuelo,, Hammam al-Yawza or Walnut Bath is a magnificent example of an Arab bath from the Zirí period (11th-12th century), declared a Site of Cultural Interest (BIC), which can be found in Carrera del Darro (Granada) in front of the Puente del Cadí. Its location on an important public road and next to a door is characteristic of Andalusian baths.

To carry out the characterisation, a series of samples of mortars, bricks and earthen walls were analyzed in order to detect possible constructive differences and the presence of pathologies. This allows for the development of specific consolidation and conservation methods that guarantee the adequate restoration of the materials and structural elements that make up the building.

The analysis techniques used were magnifying glass, video microscopy, X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy on thin film.

The results of this study were presented at the XXXVIII Scientific Meeting of the Spanish Mineralogical Society (SEM-2019), which took place in Ronda (Malaga) in June 2019.

In this project a characterisation of the mural paintings in the Church of San Dionisio, in the Sacromonte Abbey in Granada, was carried out.

This neo-Gothic style church is one of the most unknown structures of the Abbey and a unique example in Granada that evokes those London churches linked to Romanticism.

It was built together with the Colegio Nuevo during the great expansion that the Abbey underwent in the 19th century and has a single nave, pointed arches closed with stained glass and covers with ribbed vaults. 

For the characterization, a series of samples of wall paintings were analyzed in order to identify their nature. The techniques used were X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared Absorption Spectroscopy (FTIR)

The Vázquez de Molina Palace or Palace of the Chains of Úbeda (now the headquarters of the City Council), is a magnificent example of civil palatial architecture of the sixteenth century in Renaissance style. It was designed by Andrés de Vandelvira and its construction was completed in 1566.

In this project we have carried out an exhaustive characterisation, prior to the conservation/restoration intervention, of the building materials that constitute the palace.  We also carried out an evaluation of the state of conservation of the different factories that make up the building and a proposal for intervention.

To this end, a series of samples of stone, wall, mortar and salt efflorescence representing most of the materials that form the building were analysed.

The analytical techniques used were binocular magnifying glass, X-ray diffraction, infrared absorption spectroscopy, high-resolution scanning electron microscopy and optical microscopy on thin film.

In this project, a series of mortar and brick samples taken from the underground galleries that were found in the Albaicín in early 2019 were analyzed. The analysis techniques used were loupe-videomicroscope, X-ray diffraction and optical microscopy.

These galleries have been identified as possible hot springs or as a cryptoporticus. In Roman architecture, the cryptoporticus was an underground gallery or covered corridor for circulation or storage. It was usually integrated into a larger built complex.

News about the find in Granada’s newspapers:
Encuentran en el Albaicín los restos de unas posibles termas romanas – Granada Hoy

La intervención arqueológica en una obra privada del Albaicín ayuda a avanzar en el conocimiento de la Granada romana – El Independiente de Granada

Historias bajo suelo y sobre el asfalto del Albaicín – IDEAL

In this project, a previous study was carried out in order to restore and enhance the aqueduct known as “El Arco”, in Villa de Otura.

For this purpose, a historical and artistic review of the aqueduct was carried out, as well as a collection of technical data and the history of previous interventions and a photogrammetric mapping of the structure.

The aqueduct, currently in use, carries the irrigation water from the Otura ditch as it passes through the Arroyo de la Calera, and as you can see in the keystone of its central arch we find an interesting mask and a Latin cross.

This is a clear example of how the continued use of these heritage elements generally helps to preserve and maintain them to this day.

In this project a series of samples of bricks and mortars from the Virrey Palace (or Pérez del Pulgar Palace) were analyzed. The analytical techniques used were loupe-videomicroscopy and optical microscopy.