Portal de Cartagena
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The architect Ricardo García Baño has identified in the doctoral thesis that has been directed by the professor of the Polytechnic University of Cartagena (UPCT) José Calvo López the date of which could be the oldest Spanish treatise of that is known.
The manuscript, preserved in the National Library as anonymous and without concrete dating, contains a repertoire of stonework organized by groups, with an increasing order of difficulty, accompanied by brief texts that provide explanations of a practical nature.
"Its contents correspond to those of a workshop notebook or learning primer, common in the workshops of masonry masters of the time," explains the researcher, professor at the Polytechnic of Cartagena, one of the main focuses in Spain of investigation in stonework under the direction Jose Calvo, authority in the matter.
The drawings of ribbed vaults that appear in the manuscript have been keys to its dating, since they correspond with the previous monteas for the construction of the vaults of the parish church of Garcinarro, in Cuenca, drawn by the stonecutter Pedro de Alviz vizcaíno To the year 1544, date on which the final part of the original manuscript can be dated, of which the copy that is conserved is copied.
"Dating dates him as the earliest treatise on Spanish stonework, anticipated in some years to those of Hernán Ruiz and Rodrigo Gil de Hontañón, and in more than two decades to the first printed text of classical stereotomy, that of Philibert de L'Orme ", emphasizes the researcher.
"Before the sixteenth century it was forbidden to divulge the knowledge of stonework, it was only transmitted orally and in the workshops of the masons, who kept their professional secrets with such zeal that they were the origin of Masonic lodges," explains Ricardo García.
The results of the research have allowed to advance in the knowledge of the techniques of stone construction used by masters of stonework during the sixteenth century, "fundamental to undertake actions on the existing architectural heritage, in cases where buildings contain pieces Of stone, in which it is essential the knowledge of the construction methods and techniques used by its craftsmen in order to propose interventions that are respectful and compatible with the monument, that guarantee its stability ", argues the author of the thesis.
The stonework, sculpted in stone and different from each other, are very abundant in the unique buildings of the Renaissance and can be seen in most of the ecclesial and palatial architectural heritage prior to the 18th century.
The collegiate church of Lorca is an example of a building in which they were restored and replaced, due to the damages caused by the earthquake, stone pieces.
Source: UPCT
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