A thousand images and a thousand words

03-06-2021 | CATEGORIES: ROUTES / FINDS / CARTOGRAPHY / ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES / SIGHTSEEING

Abstract:

From our point of view, we see that we need to go further in the narrative discourses we have created. Perhaps the road is still to be built, perhaps the bridges have been created but do not yet appear on the maps, or perhaps we have simply fallen into that famous dichotomy that makes us choose: “a picture is better than a thousand words”. I have always wondered why not add up and add to that picture the thousand words.

Before I go on, I would like to talk about the word “technology”. Please don’t run away yet!. If there is anyone left in the room, I will tell them that technology is absolutely everything that surrounds the human being and one of its essential characteristics. The most important requirement for good technology is ease of use. The ones we present to you have a gentle learning curve and in less than 3 minutes, you usually learn to navigate through the 3D models. The good thing is that you will discover that all those worlds are in this one, but, until now, you have not been able to travel to discover them.

Awakening curiosity through interaction-driven discovery.

From AD&D 4D we are committed to discovering and telling you not only about the places, but also about the links of their inhabitants in the fabric of their history. So, from this small vantage point that technology gives us, we have created a tool to satiate and encourage human curiosity, you just have to get excited.

Would you like to discover fantastic places nearby? Just a click away ;)

4K video │Project Presentation

A thousand images and a thousand words

by LORENA PARDO │AD&D 4D

Few territories contain so much in just 12,000 hectares of surface area as the Sierra de Irta. The place is dreamlike: 13 kilometres of unspoilt coastline, combining high cliffs and soft beaches, far from civilization but close to its history. From the first settlers, to the Phoenicians, Romans, Almoravids and Templars, all have left the mark of their love for this privileged enclave. The natural site, protected by the Generalitat Valenciana since 2002, thanks to the European Regional Development Funds (ERDF), which also recognise the value of its marine treasures, is delimited by the towns of Santa Magdalena de Pulpis, Alcalá de Xivert and the great heritage jewel: Peñíscola.

Today, thanks to 3D technologies and the work carried out by AD&D 4D, we can see this piece of land from the sky, run around at our whim through its peculiar orography, climb to the highest points to visit the Arab castles of Xivert and Polpis where we can feel the power of those settlers who controlled the territory by land and sea with their rudimentary, but not negligible, technology. The model offers us the possibility of hiking from our sofa, discovering a place considered magical during civilisations such as the Santa Llùcia Chapel, its medieval tower and its archaeological site, discovering the Middle Ages through Torre Badúm and participating in the history of the Western Schism by being able to enter and tour, at our leisure, each of the rooms of the Templar castle of Pope Luna (Benedict XIII) who turned Peñíscola into a papal seat in 1411.

This journey over the territory contains audio guides in four languages and is thus accessible to people with functional diversity as well as to any navigator with little technological knowledge, to show them this environment through an almost real visit that will awaken their curiosity to continue investigating more in this exciting historical and natural enclave. As our ancestors said in the Torre Badúm inscription that reads “Sow alarm and protect me”, precisely following this guideline, this 3D model sows the alarm, alerts us to the uniqueness of the area, and protects it in the form of pixels so that it can be visited by millions of Internet users globally without eroding such a precious heritage.

Sierra de Irta, Castelló, España, Europa by AD&D 4D on Sketchfab

3D model of the interactive territory │Sierra de Irta, Baix Maestrat , Castellón, Comunitat Valenciana, Spain, Europe

Resources in Europeana

All the graphic resources can be found in the largest digital library in Europe, Europeana.

Peñíscola Castle
Badúm Tower
Badúm Tower Coat of Arms
Archaeological Site of Sta. Lúcia
Coming soon
3D model of the Sierra de Irta territory
Xivert Castle
Sta. Magdalena de Pulpis Castle

PointBox

It is an online platform for viewing dense 3D point clouds, very intuitive and easy to use, aimed at scientific-technical profiles, but also at more curious minds. From where you will be able to measure areas, take measurements, coordinates, angles, extract sections, etcetera.

Peñíscola Castle
Xivert Castl
Torre Badúm
Archaeological Site of Sta. Lúcia
Badúm Tower Coat of Arms

Zenodo

Digital preservation of the Geomatic project

This project is based on knowledge transfer, free science, democratisation and the promotion of culture and technology. Through the following DOI you can download the geomatics project under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC 4.0 international licence.

DOI 10.5281/zenodo.3906917 │ Peñíscola Castle
DOI 10.5281/zenodo.3368891 │ Xivert Castle
DOI 10.5281/zenodo.3368885 │ Sta. Magdalena de Pulpis Castle
DOI 10.5281/zenodo.3549856 │ Archaeological Site of Sta. Lúcia

Credits

Creation and 3D models: AD&D 4D
Generator: Elevation API
Digital Elevation Model: NASADEM
Imagery: MapBox, Data: OpenStretMap
Licences: CC-BY-NC 4.0