Restoration of the Wall Gate of Andilla
Portal de la Muralla was a gateway tower that served as the entrance to the medieval walled enclosure of Andilla (Valencia). Without other documentary data, we can date it to the 15th century, thanks to the coat of arms located on the keystone of the great exterior access arch. . It has the category of Building of Cultural Interest (BIC), the maximum protection granted by the Valencian legislation.
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The original walls were built with masonry, using different types of ashlar masonry in the singular points such as corners and access arch. With the loss of its defensive function, it underwent many transformations that totally disfigured it, being used for different purposes throughout its history. It was finally abandoned, and, after an intense snowfall occurred in 2017, the roof collapsed and the Portal reached a critical situation in which even the original parts belonging to the defensive phase were endangered.
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After a thorough historical-typological, constructive and archaeological study, the restoration project of the portal tower of Andilla, which had the supervision and collaboration of the General Directorate of Heritage of the Generalitat Valenciana, was able to address with guarantees.
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The objective of the restoration was to consolidate, restore and valorize the original parts, recovering at the same time the architectural, historical and typological values that characterize it as a gateway tower and that are the ones that give it the status of a Building of Cultural Interest. In the restoration process, the elements that, being in a state of ruin, corresponded to a domestic phase of the building, distorting it, were discarded, as well as the wall extensions that hid the original merlons.
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The elements, which in the course of history had disappeared, have been reconstructed following the principle of harmonic diachrony. The only material used was solid brick, which has a long tradition in the history of monumental restoration. It is a material that is fully compatible with historical masonry and that allows the subtle and harmonious differentiation of the added parts, being also a material that has great expressive capacity through the use of different types of brickwork.
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The vault that covered the access to the walled enclosure had disappeared, however, it was a fundamental element in the typological recovery of the tower. Its reconstruction was carried out as a barrel vault made of solid ceramic brick.
The upper level, which after the restoration typologically recovers the guardhouse of the original tower, is again used as an observation point as a lookout.
The staircase leading to the upper floor of the portal tower was also made using solid brick and steel for the handrails.
